Mayor Eric Adams is backing a Dem state pol who referred to as for defunding cops, whereas two suburban police unions made a uncommon endorsement outdoors their counties to struggle the candidate’s harmful “leftist ways.’’
The Suffolk and Nassau Police Benevolent Associations on Lengthy Island have formally thrown their assist behind Yi Andy Chen within the tight Democratic main race for the state’s fortieth Meeting District seat in Queens, becoming a member of the Huge Apple’s largest police union in a marketing campaign to oust longtime lawmaker Ron Kim.
“It’s lengthy late that now we have a wise candidate that isn’t swayed by the dangerous, leftist ways to destroy public security and painting police as subhumans,” Nassau police-union head Tommy Shevlin informed The Submit.
Kim, who has served in Albany for greater than a decade, was one of many many lawmakers who referred to as for the defunding of the police in 2020 within the wake of George Floyd’s dying.
However the progressive Flushing Dem has modified his tune as of late, pushing for a brand new Queens police precinct, stricter hate-crimes legal guidelines and stiffer safety in opposition to squatters.
His U-turn even received over the Huge Apple’s pro-cop-mayor, a retired NYPD officer who joined a rally for the incumbent June 15 outdoors the Queens Library, the place he informed supporters the state wants lawmakers like Kim.
“That is why Mayor Adams, a former NYPD Captain whose high precedence is public security, has endorsed Meeting Member Kim,” stated a spokesman for the Kim marketing campaign, highlighting the candidate’s latest pro-policing agenda.
However Adams’ obvious endorsement of Kim final weekend raised eyebrows amongst some Queens pols, who questioned why he’d again somebody who had repeatedly referred to as for defunding the police.
Adams has sometimes stood shoulder-to-shoulder with law-enforcement unions and pro-police teams and slammed any anti-cop politician — however on this main, he stands reverse New York Metropolis’s Police Benevolent Affiliation.
“We don’t know why the mayor endorsed Ron Kim, however from our perspective, Andy Chen is your best option for public security on this metropolis,” PBA President Patrick Hendry informed The Submit.
The Lengthy Island unions’ entry into the Queens’ race is anticipated to be the primary of many by them as they vowed to change into extra vocal in state politics.
“I’d additionally wish to ship a message to our elected officers that going ahead, our police drive will likely be laser-focused on supporting candidates who stand as much as the rhetoric of ‘Defund the Police,’ no matter celebration affiliation,” stated Suffolk County Police PBA President Louis Civello.
Chen referred to as it an “honor of a lifetime” to have the backing of the police unions.
“I’m sick and uninterested in the political agendas that extract frequent sense, legislation and order, public security and protected neighborhoods from our communities,” Chen informed The Submit.
“New Yorkers deserve steadfast loyalty and dedication in outcomes, values and management, which I’m ready to ship in Albany for our communities throughout the Metropolis, the Island and better New York.”
The Democratic decide for the fortieth Meeting seat will likely be determined in Tuesday’s main.
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