NYC Council bill would ‘silence’ NYPD’s social media ‘attacks’: ‘It’s un-American’
NYPD honchos using social media to rip lefty City Council members and other critics would be “silenced” under new legislation being pushed by a Queens pol.
Democratic Councilwoman Nantasha Williams’ bill would require City Hall to create so-called “rules of decorum” for what the NYPD and other city departments are allowed to post on their social media accounts.
The bill would prohibit posts “intended to incite violence,” “intimidate” or attribute “negative characteristics or traits” to anyone.
The proposed measure is in direct response to NYPD brass repeatedly slamming liberal lawmakers on X for pushing what they feel is an anti-cop agenda, including the controversial “How Many Stops Act” that bogged cops down in excessive paperwork.
Cops have also come under fire for verbally attacking reporters, protestors and even misidentifying a judge on a social media post accusing the wrong jurist of letting a “predator” loose on the city’s streets.
“The need for this legislation has become increasingly evident, most recently highlighted by the actions of NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell,” said Williams in an email three weeks to other council members seeking their support.
“This legislation is a proactive step toward ensuring that our social media platforms are used to inform and engage the public, not for personal attacks or politically motivated behavior.”
Among Chell’s biggest shots fired was a May post claiming Queens Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán, a Democratic socialist, “hates our city” after she called an NYPD raid on Columbia University’s anti-Israel protestors a “colossal disgrace.”
The post fueled an ongoing city Department of Investigation probe into NYPD brass’ social media policies, which was requested by Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and the Legal Aid Society.
The bill does carve out some exceptions.
The legislation wouldn’t apply to cops using fake accounts for a “law enforcement purpose” or official accounts for City Council members and other NYC-elected offices.
Since Williams introduced the legislation on Sept. 26, seven other left-wing legislators have already joined on as co-sponsors, including “Defund The Police” Brooklyn councilmembers Shahana Hanif and Lincoln Restler.
However, the bill is under attack from conservative and centrist councilmembers who say it’s a blatant attempt to censor police officers and other city workers.
“The far left is not happy enough tying the hands of our police officers,” said Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens). “Now they are trying to silence them too. When will this lunacy stop?”
“When the City Council starts legislating what public agencies can and can’t say, that’s not governance — that’s censorship,” added Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens).
“This isn’t just wrong; it’s un-American. Forcing agencies to simply toe the party line and follow a script or face legal retribution is authoritarianism, plain and simple, and it flies in the face of everything that our Constitution and the First Amendment stands for.”
Under the bill, the city’s Office of Technology would establish the new rules unless Mayor Eric Adams, no relation to the council speaker, opts to have another city department do it.
The Mayor’s Office said it’s reviewing the bill and declined additional comment.
The NYPD did not return messages, but interim Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon has taken steps to muzzle opinionated, social-media-happy subordinates since replacing embattled predecessor Edward Caban last month.
Donlon instituted a “one voice” policy for NYPD messaging — his voice — after Caban resigned while enmeshed in an unrelated federal influence peddling investigation.
