Blue Lives Matter NYC founder calls on Starbucks to take action against anti-police sentiment
Blue Lives Matter NYC founder Joseph Imperatrice sounds off on the recent incidents of Starbucks employees targeting law enforcement.
The founder of Blue Lives Matter NYC called on Starbucks to take action against anti-police sentiment on Tuesday morning after three reported incidents this past year.
Speaking on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday morning, Joseph Imperatrice, a 13-year veteran of law enforcement, said, “If I remember correctly, within this year or two [Starbucks] shut down all their stores nationally to have a sensitivity training to base, I guess, their needs towards a certain people. What about doing that once again for police officers?”
He added, “Obviously, the people they are hiring aren’t the right choice.”
Imperatrice referenced an incident in July when some police officers were asked to leave an Arizona Starbucks on Independence Day, following complaints from a customer who reportedly didn't feel safe with cops present.
On Thanksgiving, an Oklahoma police officer received a derogatory message on his Starbucks cup. The cup had the word “PIG” written on it. Kiefer Police Chief Johnny O'Mara shared a photo of the insulting cup handed to one of his officers, who purchased the beverages in Glenpool, just south of Tulsa. The photo has since been removed from Facebook.
The third incident Imperatrice referenced took place on Thursday in California. Starbucks issued an apology after the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said two uniformed county deputies were denied service.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco tweeted on Friday, “The anti-police culture repeatedly displayed by Starbucks employees must end.
A Starbucks spokesperson released a statement about the California incident, writing, “We take full responsibility for any intentional or unintentional disrespect shown to law enforcement on whom we depend every day to keep our stores and communities safe. No customer, in or out of uniform, should ever have that experience at a Starbucks.”
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Reacting to the alleged anti-police incidents, Imperatrice said, “Just like in all police departments, they have signs for equal opportunity employment or sexual harassment that are up in the workplace. [Starbucks] should put up signs saying that all workers will treat everybody with respect, and if they don’t you will be fired or suffer the consequences.
“This is what they need to do because [there have been] three incidents. Obviously, these people aren’t taking it seriously.”
Imperatrice added that Starbucks and other companies “need to realize that this is real life.”
“It’s not fun going out there, being a police officer and chasing people with guns or standing in the house of someone who just passed away, or seeing someone shot and killed,” Imperatrice said on “Fox & Friends.” “This is hard and it takes a toll on police officers."
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He went on to say, “We need the help of politicians and people of the higher brass to have our backs, [so we can] go out there and do our job properly.”
Fox News’ Louis Casiano, Gerren Keith Gaynor, Caleb Parke contributed to this report.
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