How many more insults from their city’s leadership are NYPD officers supposed to take? We all know the contention existing between the city’s police department and the worst mayor in America, Bill de Blasio. For just two examples, out of too many, he warned his son about interacting with police officers, and he attended the G-20 summit in Germany rather than attend an officer’s funeral who’d been killed in the line of duty. All while, as mayor, NYPD police officers protect him.

During the Mayor de Blasio administration, New York City’s cops have been verbally abused, doused with liquids, their cars covered in trash, assaulted, and some even assassinated, all with inadequate NYC political leadership responses. To this cascade of disrespect, we can now add New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot.

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The New York Post is reporting, in late March, during a phone call with Dr. Barbot, NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan requested 500,000 surgical masks for his officers. Dr. Barbot reportedly refused and told Chief Monahan she could only provide 50,000. During the call, according to the Post’s sources, Dr. Barbot told Chief Monahan, “I don’t give two rats’ asses about your cops. I need them for others.”

Now, to be fair, this call occurred before the height of the CCP virus had affected the NYPD. However, don’t we have to wonder if this refusal played a part in more police officers and non-sworn civilian employees becoming infected than fewer? Think about the offer for 50,000 masks as you read on.

The Post reported, out of the NYPD’s sworn officer and civilian workforce of 55,000, 5,490 employees have been infected, and 41 have died. Yes, that is 55,000 people for which the city’s health chief offered 50,000 masks. Eventually, an appeal to City Hall garnered the department half the number it requested, 250,000 face masks.

Further insulting New York’s Finest, the Health Commission released a flaccid, self-serving, passive language statement. “‘During the height of COVID, while our hospitals were battling to keep patients alive, there was a heated exchange between the two where things were said out of frustration but no harm was wished on anyone,’ Department of Health press secretary Patrick Gallahue said, noting that Barbot ‘apologized for her contribution to the exchange.’”

Who’d she apologize to? Since the NYPD declined comment to the Post, I’d have to assume it wasn’t to the officers of the NYPD. You remember them, right? They’re the men and woman for whom Dr. Barbot doesn’t “give two rats’ asses.”

The Post reported, “City Councilman Joe Borelli and Congressman Max Rose… [called] for Barbot’s ouster.” Borelli is a Republican, Rose is a Democrat. Rose tweeted, “This kind of attitude explains so much about City Hall’s overall response to this crisis. Dr. Barbot shouldn’t resign, she should be fired.”

I hate to ask it, but how much more garbage from city leaders are the officers of the NYPD to have to take or are they willing to take? For how long can any employee agree to work under such conditions? These questions may seem rhetorical, but the ramifications of the very real answers could be not much more and not much longer.