The two most grating voices in the dispute over NYPD policies are feeling the wrath of New York City voters, according to The Quinnipiac University poll.
The Rev. Al Sharpton and police union leader Patrick Lynch got hammered Thursday in the first poll on police-community relations since the murder of two cops last month. The poll found only 29 percent of voters view Sharpton favorably, while 53 percent give him a thumbs-down. Lynch, president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, fared even worse, with only 18 percent of voters giving him a positive score, while 39 percent rated him negatively.
Voters by large margins said it was wrong for cops to turn their backs on Mayor de Blasio. Lynch had refused to condemn the act, the New York Post reports.
Despite their feelings about the leaders at the forefront of tensions over NYPD policies, voters expressed strong support for the cops themselves — especially those who patrol their own neighborhoods. Seventy-one percent said they are pleased with the performance of cops who protect their blocks. Only 25 percent said they weren’t.
De Blasio didn’t fare nearly as well as New York’s Finest. He has been unable to break the 50 percent approval mark on his handling of the Police Department’s relationship with the community since Quinnipiac started polling on the issue last August. This month, 41 percent of New Yorkers approved of his performance on the issue, while 52 percent disapproved.
