Multicultural Policing

By Nicholas Stix In New York City on July 22, 31-year-old Bernard Marti was arrested and charged with shooting a 23-year-old patron in the thigh at Cordato’s Restaurant in Greenwich Village. According to police reports, Marti and the patron had reportedly been arguing over which Spanish-speaking country was superior. The victim knocked over Marti’s beer, apologized, ordered him another one, and then slapped that one away, spilling it all over Marti. Marti then pulled his gun, the victim sought to slap it away, Marti shot the younger man, and fled the premises for his car. Witnesses pointed out Marti to nearby police. Bernard Marti is a community affairs officer in the NYPD’s 25th Precinct in Harlem. Marti told police that he was an officer, thinking they would let him go, but they arrested him, anyway. Marti’s colleagues at the multicultural precinct said he was a swell guy. Police officers posting to an NYPD message board said that it was crazy to go out for a drink wearing one’s weapon, but they were obviously racists who failed to understand Latin police culture.