Sergeants Benevolent Association
Founded | 1899 |
---|---|
Headquarters | 35 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013 |
Location |
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Members | 11,000 |
The Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA) is an American police union that represents the sergeants of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), while the department's nonsupervisory patrol officers are represented by the larger Police Benevolent Association.[1] The SBA is characterized by the Associated Press as a partisan organization, and is known for perpetually criticizing the mayor of New York City (especially recent mayor Bill de Blasio), unfavored police commissioners, and other politicians through an inflammatory Twitter account, press releases and other media statements.[2]
History
Early years
In 1899, following the consolidation of the five New York City
Harold Melnick became the SBA's President in 1961, and over his 20-year term in office, the SBA won individual
21st century
On July 1, 2002, Ed Mullins was elected President of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, and later reelected for several four-year terms.[3][7] He was also Chairman and Trustee to the union's Health Benefits Fund and Annuity Fund, and a Trustee for the New York City Police Pension Fund.[7]
Under Mullins the SBA fought fiercely against
In 2003 Mullins argued that police officers should be able to sue the estates of people they kill in shootings for emotional damages. The SBA fought against mandatory breathalyzer tests for officers who fire their weapons on the job. In 2006 Mullins and the SBA demanded an apology from Mayor
In 2015 Mullins wrote a letter of protest to Google, complaining about a feature in the Waze traffic app that allows users to pinpoint the locations of police officers.[9] He said that allowing users to "get alerts before they approach police" could put police officers at risk from criminals who will abuse the real-time data provided by Waze.[9]
In May 2016 Mullins called for Police Commissioner
In 2019 Mullins emailed an explicitly racist video to the Association's membership, referring to black people as "monsters", along with the message: "Pay close attention to every word. You will hear what goes through the mind of real policemen every single day on the job. This is the best video I've ever seen telling the public the absolute truth." After the email was publicized, he said that sharing the video was an honest mistake, apologized to union members, and told the New York Post that "there is no one to blame but me for the video that was distributed."[1] The SBA declined to discipline or criticize Mullins.[12]
In February 2020 the SBA tweeted "Mayor De Blasio, the members of the NYPD are declaring war on you! We do not respect you, DO NOT visit us in hospitals. You sold the NYPD to the vile creatures, the 1% who hate cops but vote for you. NYPD cops have been assassinated because of you. This isn't over, Game on!"[13] after a targeted attack on police officers, which the Mayor had referred to as an assassination attempt.[14]
In May 2020, during the
In July 2020, during an interview with Fox News, Mullins appeared with a
In September 2020, Mullins supported Attorney General William Barr's description of New York as an "anarchist city." Mullins said, "Barr is correct we are living in criminal anarchy."[20] In February 2021 the SBA Twitter account repeated the claim that the Sergeants Benevolent Association was "at war" with the government of New York City.[21]
Mullins was charged with misconduct by the
Facilities
The Sergeants Benevolent Association built a television studio inside its Lower Manhattan headquarters, where Mullins intended to direct and star in podcasts and videos to, in his words, "Take it nationwide, you know you can give law enforcement a voice."[27]
External links
- Official website
- Sergeants Benevolent Association on Twitter
References
- ^ a b Dowd, Trone (August 14, 2019). "NYPD Union Chief Is Very Sorry for Sharing a Racist Video That Calls Black People 'Monsters'". VICE. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "'Worst' NYPD commissioner or 'proven change agent'? James O'Neill retires". The Guardian. November 4, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "History". SBA. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ Efter, Athena (December 14, 2017). "Firing up for Charity". NEO Magazine. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ Reports of Cases Heard and Determined in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York (Volume 141). Banks & Bros. 1911 [1896]. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ "Legacy of Service". SBA. September 11, 2001. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ a b "Ed Mullins, President Sergeants Benevolent Association" (PDF). SBA. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Walsh, James D. (August 19, 2020). "Sgt. Mullins Goes to War". New York. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- ^ a b "Waze Cop Tracker Puts Officers In Danger, Sergeants' Union Says". CBS New York. February 10, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "Head Of Sergeants' Union Calls For Bratton To Step Down". CBS New York. May 15, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "Union offers $500 to citizens who help NYPD officers restrain suspects". WABC-TV. August 22, 2018.
- ^ Offenhartz, Jake (August 14, 2019). "NYPD Police Union Boss: Sorry For Sharing Racist Video, 'I Have Black Friends'". Gothamist. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- ^ Gronewold, Anna; Durkin, Erin & Navarro, Marcus (February 10, 2020). "Targeted attacks on NYPD officers strain relationship between mayor, union". Politico. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- ^ Bowden, John (February 9, 2020). "Sergeants' union says NYPD is 'declaring war' on de Blasio". The Hill. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- ^ Celona, Larry; Lapin, Tamar (June 1, 2020). "Mayor Bill de Blasio's daughter, Chiara, arrested at Manhattan protest". The New York Post.
- ^ "Mayor Bill de Blasio's daughter, Chiara, arrested at Manhattan protest". Fox News. June 1, 2020.
- ^ Murdock, Jason (June 1, 2020). "NYPD Sergeants Union Tweets Private Details of Mayor de Blasio's Daughter from 'Arrest Report'". Newsweek. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
- ^ Relman, Eliza (June 1, 2020). "NYPD sergeants union chief Ed Mullins appears on Fox News with a QAnon mug behind him". Business Insider. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ^ Cohen, Marshall (July 18, 2020). "Head of NYPD union gives Fox News interview with QAnon mug in background". CNN.
- ^ Offenhartz, Jake (September 21, 2020). "Trump's DOJ Threatens To Strip Funds From NYC And Other "Anarchist Cities," Prompting Cheers From NYPD Unions". Gothamist. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ a b Robbins, Christopher (February 13, 2021). "Police Union Boss Charged With Misconduct For Bigoted Tweets And Abuse Of Authority". Gothamist. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- ^ Brown, Stephen Rex; Goldberg, Noah; Gartland, Michael; Kriegstein, Brittany & McShane, Larry (October 5, 2021). "Controversial chief of NYPD sergeants union resigns after FBI raids union's Manhattan headquarters, searches his Long Island home". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "Ex-sergeants union president Mullins charged with wire fraud". NY1 Spectrum News. February 23, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- ^ "Ex-SBA president Ed Mullins pleads guilty to defrauding the police union". Newsday. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ "Edward Mullins, Former President Of NYPD Sergeants' Union, Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Union And Its Members". www.justice.gov. January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ Morales, Mark (January 20, 2023). "Former president of NYPD sergeants union pleads guilty to fraud in scheme that stole least $600,000 from the organization". CNN. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ Meminger, Dean (July 10, 2020). "NYPD Sergeants Union President Plans To Get Louder, Denies Being Racist". NY1. Retrieved July 19, 2020.