BP MARKOWITZ STATEMENT ON FACEBOOK POSTINGS DISPARAGING BROOKLYN’S CARIBBEAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY

“The offensive and racist language used in these online posts is reprehensible, and if it’s proven that NYPD officers engaged in this totally inappropriate behavior against our Caribbean American community, they should be disciplined to the fullest extent possible. It’s important to remember that most of the men and women in blue serve our city with distinction, honor and respect and that this appears to be a case of a few bad apples. But there cannot be tolerance of intolerance in our diverse borough and city, and if you’re a police officer who can’t respect the communities you serve, then you shouldn’t be serving at all. The West Indian American Day Parade & Carnival is the largest public cultural celebration in the City, drawing millions of spectators to Crown Heights and the surrounding area to experience the food, pageantry and culture of Brooklyn’s vibrant Caribbean community. Certainly those responsible for making these comments don’t speak for the majority of Brooklynites and New Yorkers, who not only warmly embrace Brooklyn as the ‘Caribbean Capital of America,’ but all of the diverse communities that make our borough ‘proud home to everyone from everywhere.’”