OPINION:
As a former NYPD inspector who worked hundreds of large events, I know the New York Police Department is unsurpassed in crowd control. Still, the recent riot in Union Square highlights emerging practical challenges for all the nation’s police departments — while presenting some hard truths as well.
To recap: This past Friday, Kai Cenat, a social media influencer few adults have heard of, announced on a platform called Twitch a product giveaway in New York’s Union Square. The police department was not notified, and no (required) permit had been issued.
The NYPD Intelligence Division reportedly picked up online what was happening at 12:45 p.m. — at which point the division made the requisite notifications to patrol units.
Nonetheless, chaos ensued, and a crowd of about 3,000 youths became unruly, leading to significant property damage and a number of injuries, with at least two cops hospitalized.
So if the police department knew, how did this happen?
The timeline here matters. Mr. Cenat apparently announced the event around noon — but later began sending out photos of the products he’d be giving away. With each successive thirst trap of swag, the event went more viral, and the crowd swelled exponentially.
But what also appears to have happened is that the police were unaware of Mr. Cenat’s stature. As a social media influencer with a reported 13 million followers, he apparently holds the power to assemble thousands of youths in short order. There was likely a generation gap here.
Race, too, could have played a part. The cops initially involved may never have heard of a name that Black parents have heard around the house many times (I confess I had never heard of Mr. Cenat, or even Twitch).
What all this means is that in the future, police departments will have to ensure familiarity with a diverse range of influencers and platforms, including gamers. The days of simply trolling Facebook for unpermitted street demonstrations are over.
This is a clear case of the mantra that the police must mirror the communities they serve.
This is especially important when we consider that, for Mr. Cenat, the event was likely a successful career move (his social media numbers have undoubtedly been supercharged). The likelihood of copycats is, therefore, high.
A truly disconcerting aspect of the event, however, is that videos and social media postings reveal a clear strain of anti-police sentiment percolating at the event, a strain that quickly developed into violence against the police. NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey put it simply: “We were attacked.”
Now, could a similar flash mob develop if, say, a Jenner or Kardashian announced a giveaway? Of course. Would the crowd consider it a given to chant “F—- the police” and similarly vulgar epithets while physically attacking officers? Doubtful.
And for God’s sake, where were the parents?
As with the reaction of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to the looting of a 7-Eleven there, it’s clear that no amount of verbal acrobatics can alter the facts. Youths — especially Black youths — are being taught by progressives that the police are their oppressors and that every attempt at law enforcement is a manifestation of “institutional racism” (never mind that the NYPD has been “majority-minority” for years).
This is a component of what was in play on Friday, and we’re kidding ourselves if we don’t recognize it. But really, the issue is larger.
In the post-George Floyd era, our retreat from basic law enforcement is creating chaos, especially in urban areas. Historically, our cities were the jewels in our nation’s crown, our centers of culture, commerce, and immigrant aspiration.
With the advent of “bail reform” and raise-the-age legislation, we are losing them. And people of color — especially young men of color — are most commonly the victims.
There is a palpable air of disorder on the street these days; that Friday could escalate as it did speaks clearly to that. If a more rational approach is not taken soon — if we don’t restore some basic guardrails — we will indeed enter a progressive-inspired “urban doom loop” in many U.S. cities.
No amount of gaslighting or semantic virtue signaling will disguise that.
Let’s close with a suggestion rather than recrimination.
As our legislators don’t seem inclined to act, how about the police and Mr. Cenat try something positive together? Reschedule the event — but with police involvement.
And this time, along with the PlayStations and microphones, how about some subtle messages? Giveaways of school supplies, or even applications for the NYPD Cadet Corps youth program?
A naive idea? Perhaps. But with complicit city governments and media, someone has to take the first step.
Otherwise, this past Friday may be less an anomaly than a snapshot of things to come.
• Paul Mauro is an attorney and a retired NYPD inspector. He is the founder of Opsdesk.org.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.