The National Latino Officers Association criticized New York City mayor Bill de Blasio (D.) and police commissioner Dermot Shea for undermining minority cops after the highest-ranking Hispanic police officer announced his retirement Tuesday.
Chief of Patrol Fausto Pichardo, who has served more than two decades in law enforcement, submitted his retirement paperwork to city officials Tuesday after a series of disputes with de Blasio, the New York Post reported. Pichardo is one of thousands of NYPD officers who have retired following this year’s anti-police protests.
In a statement, the National Latino Officers Association criticized the de Blasio administration for failing to support Pichardo and other Hispanic law enforcement officers.
“It is amazing that during these critical times the mayor and police commissioner fail to recognize the need for Hispanic representation in policy making positions,” the statement said, according to ABC 7 New York. “The administration consistently fails to acknowledge the work and contributions of Hispanic law enforcement leadership. Hispanic NYPD executives always suffer discrimination and retaliation.”
Sources told the Post of the mayor’s frequent “micromanagement” of police department leaders, including Pichardo, whose resignation will take effect within the next 30 days. Pichardo took over as patrol chief in December 2019.
NYPD retirements doubled after George Floyd’s death in May and the anti-police protests that followed, the New York Daily News reported.
In each of the four months preceding Floyd’s death, only around 200 officers retired. In June, however, nearly 400 officers retired, and more than 400 officers retired in July, August, and September.
In total, 2,171 NYPD officers have retired so far this year—72 percent more than the number of officers who retired during the same period last year.
Top cops across the country have turned in their badges after the past few months’ wave of anti-police protests. Seattle police chief Carmen Best, the first black woman to serve in the position, retired in September following squabbles with the city council over police department budget cuts. And Dallas police chief Ulysha Renée Hall announced her resignation last month after the city council criticized her handling of anti-police protests.
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