An officer with the NYPD was suspended today for Trumping while on duty. The unidentified officer was caught on camera using the loudspeaker in his patrol vehicle to blast a message supporting President Donald Trump's re-election campaign in the Flatbush neighborhood in Brooklyn last night. NYPD policy specifically forbid officers from voicing political views while on duty. The officer was suspended without pay pending an investigation into his violation of that policy. The suspension is not about his views. It is about the fact that voicing political views while on duty is inappropriate, especially if they are using NYPD property to broadcast those views to the community.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was quick to condemn the officer's actions saying, "I also think we've seen overwhelmingly officers leave their politics at home and they go and do what has to be done to keep people safe and to respect peaceful protest ... Any officer who can't or won't do that we have to discipline and we have to address, but I don't get an indication that that is a widespread challenge." Mayor de Blasio also tweeted "ANY NYPD Officer pushing ANY political agenda while on duty will face consequences." Police Commissioner Dermot Shea described the officer's behavior as "One hundred percent unacceptable." Shea also said that officers are required to remain apolitical while on duty. The NYPD did not release the name of the officer.
The officer was clearly not suspended BECAUSE he supports Trump. If he had blasted "Biden 2020" suspension would have been equally appropriate. NYPD property is only supposed to be used for police duties. Announcing what candidate an officer personally supports is not a discretionary function.