Blas’ Latest Betrayal

Just weeks after winning re-election, Mayor de Blasio is set to give criminals a big boost. Hizzoner says he’s now OK with the Right to Know Act, a pair of pernicious bills that aim to stop police from ferreting out and preventing crime before it happens.

Before Election Day, he vowed to veto the bills. But now, with his eye on national progressive leadership, he’s fully on board.

“I was open [to the legislation] if it could be done in a way that made sure our police could do their jobs effectively,” de Blasio claims. “And I think the legislation, after a long process, got there.”

True, the bills were tweaked a tad, giving the mayor an out to back them. But they certainly won’t let police “do their jobs effectively.” Not by a long shot.

One requires cops to tell folks they have a right to refuse to be searched and to document consent, if it’s given. The big “compromise”: NYPD brass now have a bit more say in how that’s done.

The other bill forces police to hand out cards ID’ing themselves when they don’t make an arrest or issue a summons after a stop. The cards also remind those stopped to call 311 with complaints.

The original bill gave the number of the Civilian Complaint Review Board. But the change is no concession: 311 operators will just refer callers to the CCRB anyway.

Dedicated as New York’s cops are, some may opt to ignore their instincts and go easy to avoid the risk of a complaint that can harm their careers. And lawbreakers who

arrested may claim cops didn’t properly obtain their consent to be searched — and have their cases tossed.

“It is almost unthinkable in our current environment that we would discourage police officers from pro-actively addressing the threats of crime and terrorism,” says patrolmen’s union head Pat Lynch, but that is “precisely” what these bills do.

Consider it an early taste of what promises to be a very long second de Blasio term.