More Un-Friendly Fire

Filed under: Right problem, wrong solution, we have the naming of [Gerald Nelson] to the coveted (according to NYPD folks) position of Brooklyn North Borough Commander. Nelson, an African-American member of the force, has been on the force for roughly 33 years and, shazam!, suddenly he gets a major promotion in the midst of one of the city's most high-profile racial protests against the police force ever.

Most are looking at this move as an attempt by the NYPD to distract attention away from Commissioner Ray Kelly who has been swamped with community calls for his resignation in the wake of the Sean Bell shooting. Thing is, since several of the cops on the scene of the shooting were non-white, appointing another black cop to a higher position is pretty meaningless in this case. Regardless, the more information that seeps out about this case the more interesting it becomes.  Meanwhile, the [New York Sun] reports: "Arrests Plunge Near Where Bell Was Shot." Shock! Awe!