Mayor Mike is booting out reporters from police headquarters here in NYC. The reason? We’re under construction:
“This is not a First Amendment issue; this is a construction issue,” the mayor said. “We just don’t have enough room.”
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly sent reporters who cover the NYPD from Police Headquarters a letter saying they would have to evacuate the offices by July. Later, an NYPD spokesman said they might stick the press in a little-used conference room.
New York Post editors are none too happy with the move. An excerpt:
We’ve been there on behalf of New York’s Finest — without equivocation or condition — during controversial times when others in the news media flinched.
And, truth be told, we’ve sometimes paid a price with some readers who did not appreciate the support.
We’re true blue, in other words.
That said, let us be equally clear on this point: Kelly is off base with his surprising decision to evict the press corps from rooms that beat reporters have inhabited at One Police Plaza for decades.
Kelly, citing upcoming construction plans, first told the journalists they had to be out of the building by July 31. Then he said they could use a conference room as a temporary filing center.
Yesterday, the department promised to find permanent space as soon as possible — but made no guarantees it would be ready by July 31, when the reporters still have to vacate.
Sorry, but they can do better than that.