The police unions in New York City appear to be steering clear of the increasingly heated Democratic mayoral primary. However, all indications suggest that incumbent Eric Adams is receiving backing from the influential police council.
The newly established NYC Uniform Forces Union 2025 held its inaugural meeting on Tuesday. This gathering included various leaders, corrections personnel, and supervisors from all city police unions.
According to sources, the Blue Line Block was formed to amplify union influence during the mayoral race. They plan to put forth candidates for screening.
In the 2021 election, former NYPD captain Adams garnered significant support from the Police Charity Association but couldn’t fully align the union along with other candidates like Andrew Yang in the Democratic primary.
Nonetheless, insiders say that this time, the union’s prominent figures aren’t interested in getting entangled in the chaotic Democratic primary, which is just three weeks away.
The COP union is also hesitant to engage with former Governor frontrunners like Andrew Cuomo. Many union members reportedly hold grudges against three elected Democrats who resigned in 2021 following a controversial criminal justice reform introduced in 2019.
Sources suggest that the Union Head’s coalition isn’t particularly interested in the other Democratic candidates, who seem to be quite distant from the former governor.
“If we’re all on the same page, it seems like it’ll be Eric. [Adams] seems to be the one we’re gravitating toward. The rest? Not so much,” one source noted.
“Whether we even endorse any of them is still up in the air,” the source added, emphasizing that it depends on the board’s decisions.
More than 60 individuals attended the NYC Uniform Forces Union meeting, which featured presidents from various police unions in Nassau and Suffolk counties, along with representatives from State Corrections, Troopers Unions, and the Port Authority.
Scott Monroe, head of the Detective Fund Association, was instrumental in forming the Police Alliance, calling it a “historic first step.”
“We’ll ensure elected officials recognize the strength behind our uniforms,” Monroe remarked. “Our voices can sway public support for staff and candidates across the state, bolstering public safety.”
Others familiar with police collaborations stated that union leaders aim to leverage this coalition to influence next year’s gubernatorial race.
The police unions are poised to play a pivotal role, and Governor Kathy Hochul will likely need to earn support from Long Island law enforcement in both the primary and general elections.
Hochul recently secured the backing of the Big Apple police union following a budget decision that expanded pension benefits for city officers.
Adams is pursuing re-election through two independent lines after opting out of the Democratic nomination race in April when his historic federal criminal case was dismissed.
Recent news indicated that Hizaner is forming his own coalition of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans in a bid to possibly secure a GOP line in the November general election.
Other candidates in the race include independent Jim Walden and presumed GOP nominee Curtis Swawa. The Workers’ Family Party is also anticipated to nominate socialist Zohran Mamdani, while a Congressman from Queens looks set to aim for the Democratic nomination again, following Cuomo’s lead in the polls.
