Cops come unglued over phone stickers
I threw it in the garbage. It’s very intrusive. What is this, kindergarten? People are pissed off. I mean, what are we doing here? Are we children? We’re grown men and women.
Police brass have ordered cops to attach stickers emblazoned with the letters “NYPD” to their work phones to try to curb personal calls and texting on duty, but some officers are saying where their bosses can stick it.
The directive requiring the stickers was added to the NYPD’s patrol guide last week, according to a “Finest Message” sent to cops a day before Thanksgiving.
“Upon receipt, all members of the service are required to affix an ‘NYPD phone sticker’ to the outside of their department issued cellphone case, so that it’s clearly visible,” the order dated Nov. 23 reads.
Distribution of the decals comes several months after Mayor Adams told the public to snap a photo of any cops talking on their phones in subways.
“You walk downstairs, you see five transit officers standing at the booth looking at their phones,” Hizzoner, a former transit cop, griped in April. “If you see it, send me a picture. Let me know. Because I’ll go to that district the next day and see exactly what’s happening.”
The NYPD didn’t answer specific recent questions from The Post about why the stickers are required.
— a 25-year NYPD officer
But police sources said the stickers were ordered to keep cops off their personal phones while working.
Some cops said they see the move as just another way to micromanage them.
“It’s nonsense. It’s basically to keep you off your own phone,” a cop said. “If the boss sees you, he wants to see that you’re only using the job phone. It’s all horses--t.”
A police officer with more than 25 years on the job said he knew exactly
what to do with the sticker when he got it from a supervisor who was doling them out:
“I threw it in the garbage. It’s very intrusive. What is this, kindergarten? People are pissed off. I mean, what are we doing here? Are we children? We’re grown men and women.”
The cop also claimed that the stickers were pretty pitiful.
“The stickers don’t even stick anyway,” he said. “Somebody who had it on their phone for a week and a half said it already fell off.”
Another police officer asked jokingly if the sticker had special powers.
“Does it do anything special? Glow in the dark? Display the bat signal?” the Bronx cop quipped.
“So it’s just a sticker?” the officer said.
“Who’s bright idea was this? How much did it cost the city? If I lose it, will it be considered losing departmental property? Will I get disciplined or transferred if my sticker isn’t visible to the public?”
The Brooklyn cop cited the sticker — and rules about personal phones — as the type of issues that are driving young officers away from the job.
“Inspections will write you up for being on your personal phone unless you have a legitimate reason, like ‘Hey listen, my wife’s sick’ or this or that.
“I think it’s childish,” the officer said of the crackdown. “It’s ridiculous, but it’s the NYPD. They’re hammering these kids on every little thing.”