However, her criticism was not rooted in concerns about crime, but rather in the allocation of public funds. "How many school music programs got defunded for this," Ocasio-Cortez, a vocal advocate of the 'defund the police' movement, queried on social media platform X.
The NYPD's dance team had recently performed live on local news station PIX 11, an event that ignited a wave of online criticism. Detractors argued that the police department should be focusing its efforts on combating crime and enforcing the law, rather than engaging in dance performances.
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Nicole Parker, a former FBI agent and current Fox News Contributor, expressed her disapproval to Fox News Digital. "If that's what you need to do, do that on your own time. At a time when violent crime is off the roof in New York City, this is not appropriate," Parker stated. "This is not keeping the community safe and is very concerning."
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In response to Ocasio-Cortez's critique, some X users, while still expressing disapproval of the police dance team's performance, suggested that the congresswoman had missed the point. "How many people in your district are getting screwed over by the migrant invasion?" one user asked. "How many school music programs could we fund if we got rid of useless, harmful politicians like you?" another queried.
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Ocasio-Cortez has previously criticized New York City Mayor Eric Adams for increasing police salaries, a move that followed years of recruitment and retention challenges within law enforcement. These challenges were exacerbated by the 2020 racial justice protests and riots, the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent vaccine mandates. Ocasio-Cortez took issue with the fact that many officers "are paid more than a teacher with a master’s degree serving the same kids involved in the same incidents."
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"We are defunding safety, defunding our public schools, defunding our public pools, defunding our parks, defunding our libraries, when we are taking all of those resources, and demanding that every single department, except the militarized one, be cut," she stated.
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The controversy surrounding the police dance team's performance comes at a time when New York City is grappling with an influx of over 170,000 migrants, straining the city's resources. Recent incidents involving migrants, including an attack on two NYPD officers and a shooting in Times Square, have further heightened tensions.
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Despite these challenges, the NYPD's January crime statistics indicate a mixed picture. While robbery increased by nearly 6% and grand larceny saw a slight uptick, most major crime categories, including murder, rape, burglary, and felony assault, saw declines compared to the same period last year. However, crimes in the subway and transit systems, which account for just 2% of all major crime in New York City, saw a significant increase.
As New York City continues to grapple with these complex issues, the debate over the NYPD's dance team and the allocation of public funds is unlikely to abate.
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