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And one day, someone put a stop sign on the governor of New York, Andrew Mark Cuomo. Or, rather, some. The governor has been criticized for the excessive state imposition of his measures to combat the virus. Curfews starting at 22:00 and a measure that sets a limit on the number of people at Thanksgiving meetings are the most criticized. But a setback arrived for Cuomo: the New York sheriffs and police will not comply with the restrictive order on Thanksgiving Day.
What are the law enforcement officials claiming? Something simple: their work time would be better spent and focused elsewhere on taking more profitable actions to fight crime.
At the very least, it would be much more effective for city safety if police officers were doing their regular work rather than monitoring whether New Yorkers were complying with the Democratic governor’s order.
Cuomo’s measures began earlier this month, when the Democrat ordered that meetings be limited – indoors and outdoors in private residences – to no more than 10 people. The governor’s office also imposed a 10 p.m. curfew on bars, restaurants and gyms.
The discussion about what would happen on Thanksgiving Day was already beginning to take place in the public sphere. Thanksgiving dinner brings together more Americans than even the Christmas holidays, which speaks to the great importance of this date.
State authorities were alarmed because they believe that private gatherings or long trips for family visits could lead to further proliferation of the virus. And their recommendation is that people should not meet with family or friends physically, but rather through technological tools. Something that breaks the whole essence of the festivities.
The police and sheriffs give Cuomo a stop
If the measures implemented were already beginning to border on paternity on the part of the state towards the citizens, the New York police and sheriffs have given a break to individual liberties and responsibilities. Putting a stop to restrictions by the government.
The situation is somewhat complex; the security forces have rebelled against some of the governor’s orders and this undoubtedly implies a conflict. In fact, the New York governor, four days ago, strongly criticized the police who claim not to comply with the office’s orders.
“I don’t think that person is an officer of the law,” the governor charged against the officials for “disobedience.
For example, Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino questioned the legality of Cuomo’s order and noted that his department’s resources were already exhausted.
“We have limited resources and have to prioritize, so getting a search warrant to enter your home to see how many turkey or tofu diners are present is not a priority,” the sheriff wrote in a Facebook posting.
Michael Zurlo, Saratoga County Sheriff, said his officers will not be checking or counting how many guests are in each house in his county.
“I can’t see how we can devote our resources to counting cars in citizens’ driveways or investigating how much turkey and dressing they’ve bought is in the public good,” Zurlo said in a news release.
As you can read on Fox News, New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea told the NY1 cable news channel that his team of officers would also not interrupt meetings to enforce the limit set by the governor.
The reality is that the abuse of state intervention in the lives of citizens, at least in New York, is beginning to be rejected. Law enforcement officials have decided that meetings are family matters, that they do not have the resources to carry out the governor’s order, and that it is more important to take care of the state by carrying out its routine activities to maintain law and order.
The Democratic governor’s impulses seem to be emboldened, even saying that those officers who did not enforce the law were violating their constitutional duties. Words that were refuted and labeled “ironic” and “dishonest” by the New York State Sheriff’s Association.
Beyond the health reasons that Cuomo and the state have, the reality is that the restrictive measures imposed are seriously affecting the economy of New Yorkers and the freedoms of citizens who have had a terrible year. The “rebellion” against the Thanksgiving agenda is a sign of this.
Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón is a journalist at El American specializing in the areas of American politics and media analysis // Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón es periodista de El American especializado en las áreas de política americana y análisis de medios de comunicación.
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