Council libs blast Bratt

NYPD COMMISSIONER Bill Bratton had better watch his mouth, according to a scathing letter from the City Council’s Progressive Caucus.

The 19-member caucus — which includes many of the mayor’s top allies — blasted the city’s top cop for saying police reform protests “led” to the shooting deaths of Detectives Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos last year.

“Given the climate of New York City and the nation, it is imperative that our city’s leadership choose their words carefully and reliably,” the two-page letter said.

“It is our belief that this was not done last week.”

The letter, sent to Bratton on Thursday, comes just over a week after he made the comments during a promotion ceremony at NYPD headquarters.

“We have been through quite a year this past year, beginning with the demonstrations last November and December . . . that led to the murder of two of our police officers,” Bratton said.

The Progressive Caucus — which includes Council members Ritchie Torres, Mark Levine and Corey Johnson — called that talk completely out of line.

“That kind of language and assertion before a large group of officers on an otherwise joyous occasion for them is reckless and dangerous,” they wrote.

They said Bratton should be setting “policies and tones” that improve the police, “not ones that strain their relationship with the community.”

They made clear they, too, mourn the loss of Liu and Ramos — who were gunned down by a cop-hating lunatic with a long rap sheet a week before Christmas last year — but pointedly added they also mourn the “preventable” loss of Eric Garner.

Garner’s July 2014 chokehold death in police custody prompted the protests.

The caucus also referenced Bratton’s past comments that the Council is “destructive.”

“It was made clear by other recent comments that you have little regard for us as legislators. Irrespective of those feelings, we are here as duly elected members,” the letter said.

A spokesman for Bratton said he hadn’t seen the letter, and declined to comment.

It is imperative that our city’s leadership choose their words carefully and reliably. – City Council Progressive Caucus, criticizing remarks by Bill Bratton (l.)