New York cops rushed to Boston’s aid
As New York City was ramping up security after the bombings at the Boston Marathon, the NYC PBA, reciprocating for help the city received from Boston officers after 9/11, sent food trucks and a crew up to Boston to help in any way they could. Joining them were several officers from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey PBA.
About ten New York City cops including PBA President Pat Lynch, made the four hour trek.
“On 9/11, when our officers were needful, our brother and sister Boston police officers saw our need and responded,” Lynch said. “They fed us, they comforted us, they backed us up. Now it’s time for us to return the favor.”
The Port Authority Police Benevolent Association did the same thing for the same reasons. “Boston cops were there for us after the attacks of September 11, 2001 and that is the reason we were in such a hurry to get up here,” noted Port Authority Police Officer Ray Butler. “We’ve been down the same road.”
The New York cops arrived with two canteens loaded with water, hot coffee and sandwiches. Over several days they served hundreds of police officers, firefighters and other first-responders who had trouble finding places to eat while the city was in a lockdown for over 24 hours while Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the suspects in the bombing, was still on the loose.
Back at the union offices in New York City a full page advertisement was created that run in all the New York and Boston daily newspapers. The response was tremendous.
The Port Authority PBA also sent its stress counselor to Boston.
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