Pizza tourism expert Rep. Peter King is sick and tired of everyone badmouthing and "smearing" the NYPD—especially liberal members of the House Committee on Homeland Security, who called for an investigation into the NYPD over the report that they have been spying on Muslim Americans in NYC. “This is just left-wing pandering,” King told Roll Call. “Political correctness has gone crazy on the other side. These guys go on the line every day. A thousand cops out there. For them to take those cheap shots is disgraceful.” It's like they didn't even read the Post's takedown of that report!
Yesterday, Democratic Reps. Judy Chu, Robert "Bobby" Scott and Mike Honda sent a joint letter asking the Department of Justice to investigate what they call possible “civil rights” violations by the NYPD: “The NYPD has engaged in conduct that has singled out Muslims for police contact — stops and investigations — based upon their race, ethnicity or national origin,” the letter read. “This surveillance allegedly included targeting mosques, student groups, restaurants and even motorists in both NYC and outside the NYPD’s jurisdiction...These allegations, if true, would be a violation of civil rights and would trigger a number of federal laws including the National Security Act of 1947 and the federal Police Misconduct Statute. This situation must be examined further."
In October, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly was grilled by City Council members over an Associated Press exposé about the NYPD's partnership with the CIA to spy on Muslims in NYC—those violations included, among other things, trailing terror-denouncing imams and tracking Muslims who changed their names.
King, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, is no spring chicken on this topic: he staged a series of very controversial hearings on "Muslim radicalization" earlier this year. King and Queens/ Brooklyn Republican Bob Turner responded to the "civil rights" letter, calling the attacks on the NYPD "embarrassingly uninformed and shamefully misleading":
The reality is that the NYPD is the leading police department in the country with the largest and most effective counterterrorism force, dedicating 1000 officers to protecting New York from terrorist attacks. To date, under Commissioner Ray Kelly’s leadership, at least 14 attacks by Islamic terrorists have been prevented by the NYPD. All this has been accomplished in full compliance with federal law and despite the NYPD being underfunded by the federal government.
To clear away the cloud of ignorance, political correctness, misinformation and false allegations against the NYPD, we urge you to read the enclosed article, “NYPD True”, by former Attorney General Michael Mukasey which eviscerates the misguided criticism against the NYPD and gives Ray Kelly and his officers the credit they so richly deserve. As FBI Director Robert Mueller testified just yesterday: “Ray Kelly has done an unbelievable job in terms of protecting New York City from terrorist attacks.” All fair-minded Members of Congress should agree.
King didn't comment on yesterday's other NYPD-mocking report that the FBI have also been trash-talking the NYPD lately. That came about because of the NYPD's handling of a "lone wolf" pipe bomb suspect, which the FBI basically thought was a giant joke. Things got so bad, bureau director Robert Mueller had to tell them to knock it off.
Also, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler recently sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General asking for an investigation of the NYPD "to determine whether the unlawful use of force, or the unlawful targeting of individuals based on their participation in constitutionally protective activities, occurred." Bloomberg has responded to those accusations, insisting that there was no media blackout nor press harassment.
