Mayor Bill de Blasio booed, heckled while speaking at NYPD academy graduation
By RYAN GORMAN
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was booed Monday morning by cadets at the NYPD Academy graduation ceremony.
Boo birds greeted the mayor as he walked to the Madison Square Garden podium to address the incoming class of nearly 900. Only a select few in the audience turned their backs to de Blasio as he spoke.
The jeers came only two days after dozens turned their backs on him as he delivered a eulogy for slain detective Rafael Ramos.
The mayor spoke at length about the sacrifice made by Ramos and his partner, detective Wenjian Liu, adding "blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the children of God."
De Blasio praised the two assassinated officers, saying they made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of duty and honor to their city -- the type of duty and honor expected of the incoming cadets.
"It takes a special kind of person to put their lives on the line for others, to stare down the danger," said de Blasio, adding that the incoming recruits face "problems [they] didn't create."
A heckler yelled "you created them," but audience members attempted to drown him out with applause that appeared to be for de Blasio.
The mayor continued with his speech, praising the department and Commissioner Bill Bratton, who spoke immediately after the embattled former city advocate.
De Blasio also spoke of enhanced training and an initiative to put a smartphone and tablet in the hands of every NYPD officer for access to real-time information, an apparent reference to the all-points-bulletin (APB) received by the department for the man who gunned down Liu and Ramos.
The APB was sent from Baltimore only minutes before the grim murders.
Mayor de Blasio left the stage to moderate, if not tepid, applause.
No cadets turned their backs to the mayor, but a few audience members were pictured facing away from de Blasio as he spoke.
Related links:
NYPD commissioner says turning backs on Mayor de Blasio was 'very inappropriate'
NYC officer mourned at funeral as tensions linger
