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NYPD Threatens To Punish Cops Who Use Radios To Prank Superior Officers


February 16, 2015 | Prachi Gupta

In what sounds like a plot of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the NYPD is reportedly cracking down on cops who are using personal radios to “anonymously mock” their superiors, reports the New York Post. The issue has become so pervasive that officers received an internal memo about it:

An internal memo issued late last year reminded the childish cops that “privately purchased radio equipment is strictly prohibited and shall not be carried or utilized by members of the service.”

The internal memo went on to warn that “members found to be carrying or utilizing unauthorized radio equipment will be the subject of disciplinary action.”

The memo reportedly came in the weeks following the Eric Garner protests, during which time NYPD worked overtime. The Post explains, “more and more officers started pulling immature radio antics while working large details involving protests over Eric Garner’s death,” according to a source.

But more importantly — were the pranks any good? Imagine Bart Simpsons’s phone call pranks to Moe’s Tavern, but less clever, and coming from the mouths of adults:

The officers would say crude things such as, “Hey, d–k” and, “Hey, ass,” which could be heard by scores of colleagues, according to the law-enforcement sources.

Malcontent officers also would keep hitting the transmit button when a supervisor or another officer was trying to talk, which silenced them, sources added.

“When this tactic is used, it is to obscure an unpopular boss or other cop,” a law-enforcement source said.

Rude officers who continue to mock superiors via radio will be transferred, so it may be the perfect tactic for someone who hates his or her boss.

(Photo: Wikipedia)