NYC’s health commish has some reg‘rats’
Apologizes for NYPD insult
City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot issued a public apology to police on Monday for rejecting a plea by a top NYPD chief for face masks at the height of the coronavirus outbreak and then saying, “I don’t give two rats’ asses about your cops.”
“The members of the NYPD fight valiantly every day to keep New Yorkers safe,” Dr. Barbot said in the mea culpa released by the city Department of Health.
“In mid-March, I was asked to provide the NYPD with a half-million N95 masks while masks and other PPE were in terribly short supply. I wished we had sufficient numbers to meet their full request and were ultimately able to partially fulfill what was sought.
“This regrettably led to an argument in which words were exchanged between a police official and myself. I apologized to that police official then and today. I apologize to the NYPD for leaving any impression whatsoever that I don’t have utmost respect for our police department, which plays a critical role on the front lines each and every day to keep our city safe.”
The Post revealed this month that Barbot had made the vulgar remark to NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan in a March 18 phone call. Monahan had asked for 500,000 masks, but she said she could give just 50,000, sources said.
“I don’t give two rats’ asses about your cops,” Barbot told Monahan. “I need them for others.”
The NYPD did not respond to a request for comment on Barbot’s apology, but police unions were not impressed.
“I question the sincerity of it,” said Ed Mullins, head of the Sergeants Benevolent Association.
“At the end of the day, we still had nearly 7,000 members sick, 41 members died, and we still didn’t have equipment.”
Detectives’ Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo said, “Dr. Barbot’s apology comes only because her disgusting comments were brought to light for all New Yorkers to hear.”
“For a medical doctor and person in Dr. Barbot’s leadership position to show such disrespect for those who keep her safe is an absolute disgrace,” DiGiacomo said.
Mayor de Blasio has claimed he first learned of Barbot’s remark from The Post’s article, even though he had intervened earlier to get protective gear to cops.
On Monday, de Blasio’s spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein said the apology was “appreciated,” adding, “As the mayor said, he believed it was important to address the situation publicly.”