By Joanna Putman
Police1
NEW YORK — U.S. Representative Beth Van Duyne, R-Irving, took out a full-page ad in Tuesday’s New York Post, inviting New York police officers to relocate to North Texas, the Dallas Morning News reported.
The ad, headlined “Ladies and Gentlemen of Law Enforcement: It’s Time to Escape New York and Move To Texas!”, listed 15 North Texas law enforcement agencies where officers can apply, according to the report. The ad criticized New York’s policies, suggesting that officers’ lives were at risk due to violent criminals and political decisions to cut police funding.
“Your lives don’t have to be endangered by violent career criminals who are never locked away,” the ad declared. “It’s time for you to leave these loathsome and destructive fools behind. Escape from New York.”
The advertisement follows the killing of New York Police Officer Jonathan Diller last month, which Van Duyne cited as a catalyst for her campaign, according to the report. Van Duyne opposes relaxing cash bail policies and reducing prosecution for some nonviolent offenses.
“Every year, we have numerous law enforcement agencies looking for good officers and if I can marry up even one good officer to come to North Texas — it will be worth it for our community and for that officer,” Van Duyne explained to The Dallas Morning News.
In response, a spokesperson for New York City Hall defended the professionalism and effectiveness of the NYPD in reducing crime, urging Van Duyne to focus on addressing Texas’s own high homicide rates instead of engaging in political stunts, according to the report.