Sergeants Benevolent Association president on NYPD mask controversy
Sergeants Benevolent Association president Ed Mullins slams New York City health commissioner and Mayor Bill de Blasio over the NYPD mask controversy on ‘America’s Newsroom.’
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The president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association said on Friday he is not surprised that the NYC health commissioner reportedly made crass comments showing disregard for the NYPD’s urgent request for protective masks, also calling New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's response to the matter "disturbing."
“What I find disturbing is that this conversation happened two months ago, that the mayor himself was made aware of it and nothing was done,” Ed Mullins told “America’s Newsroom.”
Mullins reacted to de Blasio saying that the city’s Department of Health commissioner should “apologize” to New York Police Department officers amid reports that she made derogatory comments while receiving requests for masks to protect the police force from COVID-19.
NYC HEALTH HEAD REJECTED NYPD MASK PLEA: 'I DON'T GIVE 2 RATS' A--ES ABOUT YOUR COPS'
During his daily press conference Thursday, de Blasio was asked about reports that the city’s Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot blew off a request from the NYPD for hundreds of thousands of surgical masks amid the coronavirus pandemic, and reportedly told a high-ranking police official that: “I don’t give two rats’ a—es about your cops.”
"I need to understand what happened here, it does need to be addressed," de Blasio said. "If it is accurate, the commissioner needs to apologize to the men and women of the NYPD."
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The New York Post first reported the back-and-forth this week. The Post reported that Barbot made the remark during a brief phone conversation in March with NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan, after he requested 500,000 masks. Barbot reportedly told Monahan that she could only provide 50,000 masks.
“I don’t give two rats’ a—es about your cops,” Barbot reportedly said. “I need them for others.”
The Post reported that the conversation took place as officers in the NYPD were calling out sick with symptoms of COVID-19, but before the force lost officers to the virus.
But the Sergeants Benevolent Association, which is comprised of more than 13,000 active and retired sergeants of the NYPD, said that if Barbot’s reported comments were true, that she should be “immediately fired.”
“I am not surprised such vile words coming from an appointee of Mayor de Blasio, whose disdain for law enforcement is legendary,” Ed Mullins, the president of SBA, said in a statement. “But Dr. Barbot’s comments make it clear she has no personal or professional regard for the police.”
As of mid-April, more than 4,000 NYPD officers had tested positive for COVID-19.
De Blasio went after Mullins in the press conference Thursday morning, condemning the SBA's response, noting, "So much of what comes out of the SBA is divisive and "meant to set the city back."
"That's absolutely unacceptable." de Blasio said.
Mullins reacted to de Blasio's comments, telling "America's Newsroom" anchor Sandra Smith that de Blasio is “deflecting” from the real issue. Mullins said that though doctors and nurses are entitled to equipment, the NYPD did not have any personal protective equipment at that time.
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“Think about that from a city that is the number one terrorist target since 2001. Although this is a pandemic and not terrorism, had it been a biochemical attack, our response would have been the same way,” Mullins said.
“The purpose of my statement was to draw attention to the issue in a way that we’re actually talking about it now on national news."
Fox News Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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