In case you were wondering just how out of touch with reality these people are
The Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association tweeted on March 1: Have you thanked a cop today? Seems like a weird question. But, you’d be surprised by how much it means. A lil’ appreciation goes a long, long way. Especially for those who protect and serve. So, if you get the chance, thank a cop today.
We hadn’t thanked a cop that day, or any other day for that matter, but as a consolation we compiled an abridged list of reasons that we haven’t thought to send notes of appreciation to Hub beat cops or their union. Here goes:
-
We’re still thinking about how the BPPA kept secret for years that their president was an alleged child molester.
-
Who could forget the way that Boston cops tried meddling in last year’s mayor’s race, pushing hard for the regressive candidate partial to coddling officers.
-
Nobody deserves thanks for flanking additional surveillance measures!
-
Then there’s the cop who bragged to fellow cops during a Black Lives Matter demonstration that he intentionally used a department vehicle to drive into protestors. Plus the fact that he was able to return to the job.
-
And who wouldn’t love the way that members of the BPD, from rookies to the top brass, violate rules and even laws with impunity and suck up way more of the municipal budget than they ought to.
You’d think that members of the gang that couldn’t steal, steer, or surveil straight would think twice before setting themselves up with the kind of self-congratulatory tweet one might expect from Putin asking peasants to pray for him.
It’s not the first time Boston cops showed that their self-awareness level’s even lower than the department’s homicide clearance rate.
A Queens, NY native who came to New England in 2004 to earn his MA in journalism at Boston University, Chris Faraone is the editor and co-publisher of DigBoston and a co-founder of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. He has published several books including 99 Nights with the 99 Percent, and has written liner notes for hip-hop gods including Cypress Hill, Pete Rock, Nas, and various members of the Wu-Tang Clan.
