Mayor de Blasio has said community leaders would walk “with police officers” through violent hot spots in the city this weekend — but a day later, City Hall was backpedaling on the odd plan.
Community leaders would indeed be going on the violence-prevention walks — including one Saturday night in Harlem — but the NYPD would not be patrolling alongside civilians, a mayoral spokesman said.
“They are not literally joining patrols. I don’t understand how to make this clearer for you,” said the spokesman, Avery Cohen.
The mayor had said Friday residents would “see a combination of things happening,” including “community leaders, community organizations walking with police officers, showing common cause.”
The idea did not sit well with the cops on the street.
“We are the police,” one officer told The Post in Harlem earlier Saturday. “We do patrols. We have a lot of things to take care of here.”
Some 60 people prayed and made speeches during Saturday night’s “Occupy the Corner” event at West 143rd Street and Malcolm X Boulevard.
“People are putting their lives on the line to protect the people who they live with and who they love,” Mayor de Blasio said