Love for NYPD cops
Kin of those who died lift morale
NYPD true blue booster Anna Deflaus arrived at the 19th Precinct as the flip side to the city’s anti-police demonstrators.
The Brooklyn public school teacher, accompanied by relatives of two New York cops killed in the line of duty 90 years apart, joined forces for a pro-police pop-in visit at the Upper East Side outpost Wednesday — bearing kind words and tasty snacks for the city’s Finest.
It was the 28th precinct visit by Deflaus and her small but dedicated band of law enforcement boosters.
“I was [already] upset about the negative media narrative about the NYPD,” Deflaus explained after delivering hero sandwiches, wraps, bagels and desserts to about two dozen cops on the 8 a.m.-4 p.m. tour. “After George Floyd’s death, I saw how the NYPD was getting beaten up by the politicians.”
She launched a GoFundMe site and raised $25,000 before starting her tour of city precincts — 28 and counting so far.
Deflaus was accompanied by retired NYPD Chief of Transit Joe Fox and the relatives of two officers killed in the line of duty: John Flood, beaten to death in the 19th Precinct in 1917, and Russel Timoshenko, shot to death after stopping a stolen BMW in Brooklyn in 2007.
“I’m just thankful for the NYPD, for all that they do,” said Maureen O’Grady, 76, the granddaughter of Officer Flood. “They need to be acknowledged. They need this morale boost. They need to know that people appreciate what they do every day.”
Tatyana Timoshenko’s 23year-old son was just a rookie cop when he was killed on the job. She knows firsthand the daily perils of police work.
“The NYPD is our family,” she said. “We must show our respect for everything they do to make our city safe. For each and every one of them, it’s important to let them know we love then.”
Officer Tarik Hunter, an 18-year NYPD veteran, appreciated the sentiment.
“This is great,” he said. “It’s very heartfelt. This is an extended community that we can count on. There are people who have our backs.”