New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s graduation speech to fall Police Academy graduates was met with mixed audience reactions on Monday, as de Blasio struggles to bridge relationships with New York police officers after a fatal ambush on two cops last week.
Mayor de Blasio was booed and heckled by the audience before he had begun speaking, the New York Timesreported. The ceremony for the 884 graduating cadets, held in Madison Square Garden, came only two days after hundreds of officers had turned their backs on de Blasio as he spoke at the funeral of one of the two slain officers.
The mayor continued his speech, and drew applause when he said, “You will confront problems that you didn’t create. You will confront poverty, you will confront mental illness, illegal guns and the challenges of a still-divided society.”
Witness the Aftermath of Police Shooting in Brooklyn
The skyline of Manhattan is seen in the background as investigators work at the scene where two NYPD officers were shot in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Dec. 20, 2014 John Minchillo—APPolice are pictured at the scene of a shooting where two New York Police officers were shot dead in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Dec. 20, 2014. Carlo Allegri—ReutersPolice are pictured at the scene of a shooting where two New York Police officers were shot dead in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Dec. 20, 2014. John Taggart—EPAA police officer wipes tears away from his face as he walks away from the scene of a shooting where two New York Police officers were shot dead in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Dec. 20, 2014. Carlo Allegri—ReutersPolice pay their respect outside Woodhull Hospital as two Police ambulances carrying the bodies of two murdered officers head to Bellevue Hospital in New York City, Dec. 20, 2014. Paul Martinka—PolarisA man leaves flowers at an impromptu memorial near the site where two police officers were killed the day before in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Dec. 21, 2014. Seth Wenig—APNew York City police officer Darren Cox, right, accompanied by fellow officers, leaves flowers at a memorial in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Dec. 21, 2014.Mark Lennihan—APDonna Salvaggio (L) and a woman who gave her name as Reverend Jordan hug at a makeshift memorial at the site where two police officers were shot in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Dec. 21, 2014. Carlo Allegri—ReutersA man takes part in a prayer vigil at the site where two police officers were fatally shot in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Dec. 21, 2014. Carlo Allegri—ReutersMourners take part in a prayer vigil at the site where two police officers were fatally shot in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Dec. 21, 2014. Stephanie Keith—ReutersNew York Police Department officers Mark Cava, left, and Jason Muller participate in a moment of silence for two slain NYPD officers before an NBA basketball game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Detroit Pistons in New York City on Dec. 21, 2014.Jason DeCrow—APNew York Police Department officer Jason Muller salutes during the national anthem after participating in a moment of silence for two slain NYPD officers before an NBA basketball game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Detroit Pistons in New York City on Dec. 21, 2014.Jason DeCrow—APA woman recites from a Bible while standing over a makeshift memorial during a prayer vigil at the site where two New York Police Department (NYPD) officers were fatally shot in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Dec. 21, 2014. Stephanie Keith—ReutersMourners take part in a prayer vigil at the site where two police officers were fatally shot in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Dec. 21, 2014. Stephen Shames—Polaris
The murders of police officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu widened a chasm between de Blasio and New York police officer and community leaders, who have accused the mayor of endangering officer safety by supporting ongoing protests. The protests, scattered nationwide, seek to address police racism after several killings of unarmed black Americans by white police officers, whose grand jury investigations returned non-indictments.
