[Disclaimer: Due to my Department's restrictive internal disciplinary policies regarding their personnel's expression of personal opinion, certain details and aspects of my background have been intentionally redacted from this story.]
Occupy Wall Street
There are very few experiences during my time on the job that I can recall more vividly than my time covering the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011. For most of my days assigned to the area, I was assigned to a "mobile response unit" (8 Officers and 1 Sergeant) whose basic function was to respond to any incidents involving large crowds or blocked streets. My experiences at Occupy were actually largely positive; I had some great conversations with demonstrators about why they were down there, and believe it or not, I often found myself in agreement with many of the things they had to say. During this time, we were pulling fourteen hour shifts, and I recall that on multiple days, my radio battery and its back-up had gone dead with no available replacements. I also remember how abstruse our Department's executives revealed themselves to be during these volatile times, very often issuing orders that made little to no sense, only serving to create more confusion in an already chaotic setting. Most importantly, I remember (as do many others) how Occupy functioned to teach me a lesson about the NYPD bureaucracy that permanently changed my view of the Department's leadership.
I'd also like to take a moment to state that I unequivocally support every person's right to express their opinion by congregating and engaging in peaceful demonstration, no matter what their belief system may be. This is an inalienable right that must be protected by all Americans, first and foremost by our police. And, while the majority of my experiences in this realm have been overwhelmingly positive, I've also seen a few instances that have needlessly escalated, threatening to cause a "domino effect" of sorts that can transform a peaceful demonstration into large scale fighting, panic, and injury. I've seen it start with the actions of professional "rabble rousers" (for lack of a better term) whose main function is to cause disruption and provoke police intervention; as well as with overzealous enforcement by police, resulting in the use of unnecessary or excessive force which can then trigger unrest amongst protestors. I'd also like to note that in my experiences, the vast majority of Occupy demonstrators were peaceful and just wanted their voices to be heard; this article is by no means a referendum on the validity of their movement. Anyway, in my experiences at Occupy, there was one Department executive in particular whose actions not only constituted unnecessary force, but also served to sew a rather sizable measure of resentment in the public's collective conscience toward police in general.
Case in Point: Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna, a.k.a. "Tony Boloney"
D.I. Anthony Bologna's initial assignment was as the Commanding Officer of the Occupy Wall Street Detail, in charge of some two to three hundred officers on a daily basis (sometimes more). This was a powerful position, and D.I. Bologna was handpicked for the job by then Commissioner Ray Kelly. For those of you who are unfamiliar with rank structure, a Deputy Inspector can be considered the equivalent of a Colonel in the Army. So, you can imagine my bewilderment and deep sense of disappointment when I saw the video clips of a Department executive pepper-spraying non-violent demonstrators at a downtown rally. What the hell was he thinking? Well, much of the problem was that this guy had already been on the job for far too long, a problem still very common in the higher ranks, or "brass", of the NYPD (more on this in later articles). The last time this individual had engaged in taking police action on a public street was in the 1990s; prior to the advent of videophones, YouTube, and even the widespread availability of cellular phones. He was, in short, completely bereft of this one modern axiomatic truth: As a police officer, the public is watching and recording your every action and reaction, and one must behave accordingly. Therefore, it came as no surprise to most younger cops who understand this truth that Tony Boloney had gotten himself caught up in such a ridiculous display of ineptitude and ignorance. Instead of functioning as a shining example of how a Department executive should engage with the public, he forever tarnished the shield that he had spent thirty some-odd years serving.
A Word on Body-cams
The NYPD will have all street level police officers wearing body-cams on a daily basis by the end of 2018. Personally, I say this should have happened five years ago and that the Department has been slow to react, as they are with most things. Being that I have absolutely nothing to hide, I would welcome this addition to my daily responsibilities, as it could only serve to bolster any future necessary police action I engage in. It is my sincere hope that these body-cams help to provide a new "lens", if you will, with which the public can examine every police action more thoroughly, while offering a measure of transparency on a scale that was previously unavailable.
If D.I. Bologna and the officers surrounding him had been wearing body-cams, do you think he would have behaved any differently? Besides, it does appear as if he's aware he's being recorded throughout most of the incident. This may serve to show that body-cams are not a perfect fix, and that abuses can and will continue to occur despite their being recorded. Regardless, I believe that body-cams are an absolute necessity if we are to move forward and evolve as a society. In an age when every officer's actions, despite their geographical or situational circumstance, instantly reflects upon me and the reputation I've worked hard to build, I not only welcome the introduction of the body-cam; I DEMAND it.
The author of this article is an active New York City Police Officer, currently serving the City in an investigative capacity.
Thanks to all my readers thus far, especially those who have given meaningful and productive feedback; this particular article was a result of a brief discussion in the commentary with @ekklesiagora. Also, a quick thanks to @cleankarma, @andrarchy, @dexter-k, @jenkinrocket, and @thejohalfiles for their interest and support. @Ericarthurblair, I have an article on asset forfeiture coming up next. Thanks!
Such a great post, law enforcement is in my genes per say and I have enjoyed your posts since I found your blog.
Lovely weekend to you!
Thanks so much! And to you as well!
Very interesting read @ryanjk8, I remember seeing all the protests happening even in Vancouver Canada when the occupy thing was going on and my wife and I would steer clear of it every chance we got. It just looked like a breeding ground for tension, resentment and fights. I think it's especially tough for the officers who find themselves in a situation like that where they are pulling huge shifts, down on resources, probably stressed out and really need to get a break. I agree I think body cams are a great way to go, but only if they are not able to be interfered with. I don't know if there are any controls or checks on them that prevent tampering and abuse, but that will likely come eventually as well. Thanks for the great read @ryanjk8, love hearing your fascinating stories from a perspective many will never see!
Thanks @dexter-k! I'm really happy that you enjoy reading about it. And yes, in answer to your question, the body-cams are managed in a way that they are unable to be tampered with by the officer who wears it; any footage collected is to be reviewed by their supervisors only. Looking forward to more pics btw!
I really enjoyed this piece. Having close relatives who were very active in the movement I went to visit toward the end. Nothing crazy happened while I was there but you always wonder what the cops are thinking. So thanks for writing this.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for reading!