NYPD Order Forbids Officers From Using Unofficial Merchandise On Or Off Duty
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Unlike everybody else on Earth, New York's Finest are no longer allowed to own any souvenirs emblazoned with the department logo, or even just the letters N-Y-P-D.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has issued a directive forbidding officers from owning any T-shirt, jacket, pin or any other merchandise with the NYPD letters or insignia without written permission.
1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reports
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The PBA's lawyers are carefully reviewing the order.
"Telling police officers what images or objects he or she can own or wear in their private lives is a clear violation of the officers' free speech rights, possibly other Constitutional rights and collective-bargaining rights," PBA President Pat Lynch said in a statement. "Many private citizens proudly wear NYPD apparel - and police officers can't? It makes no sense. The PBA believes the order is patently unlawful and we will defend our members' rights."
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said standards have to be set and trusts Kelly with setting them.
"We say that they're on 24/7 when they're not officially at work and they're home, they're still police officers," Bloomberg said. "They're not totally independent even when they're not on-duty.
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Deputy Chief Paul Browne said the motion is targeted towards offensive T-shirts showing an inappropriate slogan with a police affiliation.
According to a published report, Kelly was irate after seeing a T-shirt bearing the letters "NYPD" and the slogan "Kill Them All and Let God Sort It Out."
What do you think of the order? Let us know below...
