Do your tax dollars pay for the cops’ cellphone minutes?

We frequent an area of Boerum Hill, Brooklyn boasting two large housing projects a few blocks from each other. Police activity in the area is high and officers routinely patrol the side streets. Often, we spot them yakking on cell phones.

These officers are taking personal calls, from what we can overhear. People also walk differently when talking up the missus than when reporting a 187 on the walki-talki.

“I’ve noticed it,” said Chris P, neighborhood resident, “and I don’t think it’s funny.”

In addition, when we went to report a stolen bicycle recently, we waited while the clerk finished a personal call on her cellphone.

Talking
whenever, wherever
shouldn’t apply to cops on patrol.

Has anyone else noticed on-the-job officers on cell phones?

UPDATE: Another area Brooklynite, Daniel McFarland, writes, “I think the question that we all must ask ourselves is, are cell phones a good replacement for an old fashioned, or a jelly filled?

On top of the obvious aural distraction of a cell phone, I have noticed that while on the phone, the cop tends to look down and tuck their chin in so that their conversation is more private. This insular cop has limited visual patrol, effectively taking them off the beat.

On the other hand the donut eating cop has his head high to better open up the esophagus for the passage of the donut bolus. The residual effect is a more aware, albeit fatter, cop. I would contend that a fat cop is better than a deaf, dumb and blind cop. For the safety of us all NYPD patrolmen need to renew their monthly plan at Dunkins, not Nextel.”

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