By Lee Williams
SAF Investigative Journalism Project
COMMENTARY: The New York Police Department has lost its collective mind, especially at its 115th Precinct, which is responsible for keeping a portion of Queens and LaGuardia Airport safe, sane and secure.
The commanding officer, Deputy Inspector David Cordano, recently posted a photo of two shotguns and about 60 shells on his precinct’s X page. The guns are nothing special: a semi-auto and an over-under. The shells include birdshot and slugs. But it’s Cordano’s caption that has me scratching my head.
“Today, our patrol officers responded to a radio run and removed these illegal firearms from our streets,” Cordano posted on X. “Great work by our officers for their quick response and commitment to keeping our community safe!”
Even though I haven’t had a badge in my billfold for quite a while, I still need to say this to Deputy Inspector Cordano: If you truly believe your community is actually put at risk by guns like these, you, sir, are ready for the rubber-gun squad.
His X post certainly raises more than a few questions:
- Why are these shotguns considered illegal?
- Why were they seized?
- How did these two shotguns make an entire precinct unsafe?
- How does someone like Cordano earn more than $212,000 per year and command an entire NYPD precinct?
Unfortunately, we may never get answers to these questions. Cordano did not respond to calls or messages left at his precinct seeking an interview.
Too blue
NYPD’s infamous CompStat report shows that the 115th Precinct is a safe place to live or run a business. The precinct hasn’t had a recent murder. Robberies and burglaries are down too, as are grand larcenies.
Why, then, is NYPD so freaked out about a couple of shotguns? The answer is simple. The NYPD is the bluest police department in the bluest city of one of our bluest states.
I would bet that the vast majority of all NYPD officers never even touched a real firearm until after they joined the department and were sent to the range. After all, guns and gun owners are bad, right?
Look at the extreme lengths one had to take, in addition to all the money one needed to spend, just to obtain a permit to simply possess a firearm within city limits. For decades that hassle trebled or quadrupled if a civilian actually wanted to carry a concealed firearm legally.
This too-blue-flu has infected all the cops and especially their top brass. They are scared of modern firearms and modern firearm owners—petrified of them, in fact.
While things have only recently improved somewhat, when compared to a free city of a free state, New York City remains far below the curve. In fact, NYPD’s extreme anti-gun attitude only benefits the bad guys, because they have never once worried about permits or any other legal nicety. Not having to worry about whether their victims may be armed only empowers and benefits these criminals.
If you need proof, compare crime in the Big Apple to any free state. For example, look at Florida, where we’re still celebrating constitutional carry. We certainly have crime in Florida, and at times it can be bad. However, unlike New York City, law-abiding Floridians have the right and ability to fight back.
Besides, cops in a free state would never post pics of a couple shotguns. They’d be too busy returning them to their rightful owner.
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