Nov. 26, 2019 By Kristen Torres
Scores of Queens residents were outraged when a photo of a New York Police Department officer wearing a Trump lanyard in a Jackson Heights bar circulated on Facebook this week.
The photo was posted to the Jackson Heights Facebook group by user Jose Notion, who posted the photo with the caption, “So NYPD 115th officers allowed to wear their political alignment while on duty?”
The officer — who is a member of the NYPD’s Vice Squad — was part of a police group that disrupted a party at El Tucanazo bar around midnight Sunday for a routine check-in, according to a statement by State Senator Jessica Ramos.
The bar, located at 83-17 Roosevelt Ave., is a popular venue for members of the transgender and queer community.
The Vice Squad is a special division of NYPD that focuses on crimes such as gambling, prostitution and the illegal sale of alcohol.
Many residents commented on the Facebook post, questioning the legality of the officer’s actions, with one user writing “I thought this was illegal,” and another saying that an officer “serves the law and the constitution, not a party.”
Ramos commented on the post, saying that the officer wearing the lanyard was not in compliance with NYPD policy. “For the record, the lanyard is against NYPD regulations and the police officer is a member of the Vice Squad not any of our local precincts.”
Ramos later posted a statement about the incident to her own Facebook page. She said the check-in “turned into an act of intimidation toward transgender, gender non-conforming, queer, black, indigenous, brown and undocumented people — those who are most marginalized by our society.”
She continued, “This was not just any party. It was a safe space for our LatinX queer youth.”
Ramos said the NYPD Vice Squad has a deep history of corruption and said the division should be shut down until it’s properly investigated by the city.
“This is yet another example of how the NYPD Vice Squad has terrorized our LGBTQIA community, especially in my district areas of Jackson Heights, Corona and East Elmhurst,” Ramos said.
Ramos’ Statement on Facebook
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77 Comments
I bet if the officer wore a Biden lanyard no one would care. Yes, he should know better. But Trump just triggers too many.
Why would someone be offended by the the name of a sitting president? Sounds like a far left agenda to me.
It’s a basic violation: http://www.nyc.gov/html/conflicts/downloads/pdf2/leaflets/polact.pdf
Muh far left agenda!
Cops come in my bar for trouble every week. Big deal. It’s a bar, there’s always fights
A lanyard creates a great deal of discussion and aggravation yet the uptick in crime, the illegal immigrants and homeless situation in the area are given a blind eye. Odd.
A blind eye? They’re actively prosecuted. Google “ICE” and get back to me.
I don’t remember illegal immigrants being mentioned a single time, odd.
It’s a shame Trump pretended Mexico would make a “one-time payment” for the wall. Now he wants new taxes to force the taxpayer to pay for it. Sad!
Always with the “didn’t trump this and that about the wall” you’re probably another white guilt liberal
You were gullible enough to believe Trump pretended Mexico would make a “one-time payment” for the wall. You have no defense. Call me all the names you want.
Same argument- You’re probably another Fox Propaganda sucker, tricked into voting against your own best interest. I bet you’re a laborer or in some other type of “unskilled” type of employment whose line of work has been severely impacted by employers and industry use of illegal labor. Your salary has been artificially suppressed by illegal laborers, you’re actually making less then people in your field made back in 70’s. You probably have no pension and if you’re lucky a 401K your employer doesn’t match. So much lost in the name of give back. Your social security income will reflect this loss of revenue. The social security system has been damaged by the loss of “projected” revenue compared against the reality of incredibly low contributions by people earning slave labor if anything at all is even being contributed by employers using illegal labor. So you’ll more then likely see reduced revenue from Social Security for this reason alone. Employers are sitting on the most cash in American history do to the use of illegal aliens, offshoring, visa programs and the expanded use of interns. This fact is verifiable by a simple google search. President Trump went and gave the people who have benefited from this a Trillion Dollars in tax cuts or wealth redistribution. Ten Billion for the wall wouldn’t even register as a percentage to this type of money, let them pay for the wall. This group won’t even do that they want suckers like you to flip the bill and you cheer it in and embrace it, you know what, you deserve it. The only problem is people who know they’re being ripped off again are being taken down in the process with you. Most are not against the wall they’re against funding it because we’ve already paid. So excuse us for not sharing your enthusiasm for being played a fool.
I would be surprised if there isn’t an uptick in Republican votes for NYS/NYC. The last eight years have been some of the worst and I voted for these Dems that essentially dragged this city down while the economy has done so well.
This is an article about a lanyard, did you miss the headline?
Of late we are seeing more and more MAGA hats in the city.Not sure if this is some organic shift in political views or some PR stunt. Chelsea now even has a “Blacks for Trump” banner on a storefront.
People are starting to come around and leave the Democrat plantation.
I walk around this city everyday and drive for a car service at night and have not seen one MAGA hat. You sound delusional.
I’ve seen plenty of MAGA hats on the subway, and sporting events at the garden. I work in the financial district and see men in suits wearing MAGA hats.Trump 2020.
Red Hats – To quote George Orwell “The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.” It was their final, most essential command. Keep looking for those non existent hats and spreading party propaganda. You’re mocked just like Trump was by his peers at the NATO summit.
Vendors were selling MAGA hats on 14th Street near the Christmas Market in Union Square.You may not know this ,but many tourists come to NYC and proudly wear MAGA hats.
It’s a shame Trump lovers don’t have pride in our country.
I think it’s already great, but then again I’m a patriot. I don’t wear hats that disrespect our country by saying it isn’t great.
don’t bring that bs here, go back to Alabama
I’m a native New Yorker and a registered Independent, left the dems a long time ago. Go to parts of Brooklyn and you will see MAGA hats,Staten Island too. You think NYC is just Manhattan.
What’s wrong about being from Alabama?
So what happened? Was anyone arrested? Any drugs found? Was the “safe space” indeed safe?
Who cares. His right.
Jd- You’re totally wrong it’s not his right and he is in violation of department dress code and out of compliance with departmental policy. You technically don’t have a right to freedom of speech at work.
Only an illegal or liberal loving illegal would be offended.
Can you give a single reason that you’re not totally wrong; it’s not his right and he is in violation of department dress code and out of compliance with departmental policy?
Or just call people names like a child?
Jd- You really need to make up one lie and stick with it..is it a right or is it an offensive act? You’re dancing around like a headless chicken, you’re constantly fumbling and bumbling..Is this comment stream too much for you?
So why is everyone upset that Kaepernick can’t find work? Same situation right? Are you saying that Kaepernick was wrong for using NFL games, team uniforms and network time to promote a political/social agenda of his own?
The police are supposedly a nonpartisan branch of law enforcement telling everyone that “For the record, the lanyard is against NYPD regulations and the police officer is a member of the Vice Squad not any of our local precincts.” does not make any sense a cop is still a cop regardless of what part of law enforcement he represents.
Big Deal –
Jessica Ramos should worry about more important things going on in Jackson Heights
Just imagine if the cop was white.
Toughen up snowflake
The cop probably didnt mean to offend anybody. Being the type of place that it is, alot of us get offended fairly easily. I know, I am here almost every night. We are a finicky bunch
If the Lanyard had the name “Hillary” on it this wouldn’t be in the news. As long as it doesn’t read “Trump 2020”..
Trump was just convicted of defrauding veterans and mandated by a US court to pay $2 Million in restitution to Veterans Groups. Way to go in your support of a convicted criminal and con artist. Get some self respect and bring standards ethics and decency into your decision making.
Trump Lovers are still whining about Hillary?! But her emails!
No politics on duty. Period. Off duty, do whatever you want.
Politics? It’s the name of sitting president. No politics there.
Bottom line? Just like the basketball teams who should not use their uniforms for political or social messages? This officer does NOT have the free speech rights to speak politically while in his employer’s uniform, because in this case, he’s not speaking for himself, but rather for the NYPD. He has all the free speech rights once he gets out of his uniform. Also illuminating is this PDF, which details what city employees can and cannot do vis a vis conflicts of interest: http://www.nyc.gov/html/conflicts/downloads/pdf2/leaflets/polact.pdf
Maybe he should just take a knee if we are going to compare him to basketball players
But being offended by this is crazy right? Lmao
He would need to be careful taking a knee in that location. It might have been seen as an open invitation.
According to the NYPD Patrolman’s guide: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/ccrb/downloads/pdf/investigations_pdf/pg203-10-prohibited-public-contact.pdf
Section 10:
“While on duty or in uniform, endorsing political candidates or publicly
expressing personal views and opinions concerning the merits of:
a. Any political party or candidate for public office;
One could say, reasonably that wearing such an item is in effect an endorsement, no?
Actually, the raid described was far more outrageous than the wearing of that lanyard which was, of course, offensive and a violation of good police practice and perhaps went against a policy or rule) i blame the writer for putting the emphasis on the wrong issue: the raid itself should have been the lede.
People were OUTRAGED!! Thank goodness the Left is so devoted to “diversity.” Oh yeah, as long as it’s not diversity of opinion. Even the slightest deviations are met with OUTRAGE!!!
He was on duty. If it was on his own free time, it would have been fine. But what he did was illegal. But that is too difficult for the RIGHT to understand….
They are ALWAYS OUTRAGED. The Ramos woman is a waste of time.
Debate is not outrage. The left gets outraged when descending opinion is backed up with lies.
It’s called FREEEEDOM of Speech and Choice!!!!
Your absolutely right but everyone seems to forget that fact what is this country coming to only free speech for all the socialists and anyone who differs is wrong this is creating alot of problems and discrimination why can’t everyone just let it be!!!
Free speech went the way of the dodo bird. Ask all the twitter users who are constantly have their accounts suspended over speech expressions while this vile, animal of a President spews hate on a daily basis but continues to have an account. Its not about left, or right.
That’s because the people who would fight against that freedom do so because they hate. Should the left be silent when people from the right spew their hateful rhetoric. Wouldn’t that make us worse than them. Evil can only exist when good people do nothing. so yes the left believes everyone should have freedom of speech but we will stand up when we feel what you’re saying is wrong. And that is the difference between the right and left. A prime example of that is their continued backing of Trump.
Sure, officers are prohibited from endorsing candidates on the job, but my feelings are still hurt because this is mean to Trump.
Your Freedom of Speech cannot use your employer’s mouth. As long as one is officially representing another, then their personal freedoms are constrained by the parameters of their boss.
Yet Kaepernick used the NFL’s time and teams uniform to be anti-police and spread his “word” and agenda. Such BS. It’s only an issue because it is DT. If it was BO or HRC or anyone else for that matter it would have never made the headlines.
Division- “And yet”, Kaepernick suffered the consequences that come from spreading “his word and agenda”..Will this cop see any consequences for his violation of department policy? It’s an issue because it’s a violation of departmental policy plain and simple. People are tired of Fox News and their followers constantly playing the victim card.
Wow, he really struck a nerve
Who cares about his rhetoric? Did he promise he’d be PC?
Trump lovers are so sensitive, everything has to be PC with those snowflakes
The 1st amendment only applies to the government limiting speech. As usual the loudest person knows the least.
1st amendment only applies to the government. That’s why citizens can’t yell “fire” in a theater.
Are most Trump lovers so completely wrong?
Okay its a lanyard with a name. What violation of the patrol guide is there??? But it must be okay when cops are wearing the elephant pins or socialist stars on they’re shield lapels .
He’s in violation of 203-10 sub 10 (NYPD PG).
In all fairness cops are generally pretty cheap, he probably got it for free and is just making use of it.
Nope he is not campaigning therefore u have nothing pal.
So he has his rights silenced while protecting yours? Three words for all of you…….GET A LIFE!!!
He doesn’t protect any rights just wrongs. He is just another COWARD hiding behind a badge. Karma will catch up to all you COWARDS
It’s not his right to wear things that are against police dress code. He could be wearing a Disney hat and he would be wrong. It’s against policy. The problem is he wears that and goes into places with people that the right have been actively fighting against for decades and he knows it upsets people but he has a badge and a gun and would love if someone would say something so he can abuse his power. That’s why he wears it and that’s why it is against policy.
Seriously? Are we heading towards one party system? If he has different political views, let him be.
We’ve had one party for years – the right wing.
I would be more concerned about the illegalities related to prostitution, drugs, and immigration than a policeman wearing a Trump lanyard.
Since when can’t you wear something that’s patriotic and supportive of a sitting president? It’s not campaign gear for pete’s sake.
Me- Since the establishment of a department dress code, that’s when. Just like he would be out of compliance if he wore a red tie or white socks while he was on the job and suppose to be in uniform.
The NYPD would use their job for a petty intimidation of a local candidate? I’m schocked lol
Get a life, perhaps you prefer anarchy?
We prefer free stuff.
Sunday night at midnight….a BAR is a “safe space” for youth. Why is this even an article. The residents of this neighborhood know it’s a problem bar for a long time.
Jose R- You’re absolutely right..This bar is a problem for the very same reason Trump ran into a problem when he paid Stormy Daniels for the very same services the guys in the bar are looking to buy.
She should have said something about those violent teen criminals, she just waits for any opportunity to be anti police.