The NYPD & the I.O.C.

The members of the NYPD's Sergeants Benevolent Association are not among the Mayor's biggest fans (their website even includes a running clock counting down the time remaining in his term). Most of the animosity is the result of the sergeants' ongoing and very contentious contract dispute with the city.

Last Wednesday, they gave the dispute an interesting and much-welcome twist when they took it to the streets in the form of a full-page ad in the Post aimed not only at Mayor Bloomberg, but at the delegates of the IOC as well. At the time, the delegates were still being shuttled around town on a very clean, safe, well-choreographed tour of potential sites and tourist attractions.

But if any of them happened to pick up a newspaper while no one was looking, they'd have seen an open letter that, though couched in pro-2012 terms, says basically: "Bloomberg treats the NYPD like garbage and pays them for shit. City police officers have been overworked since the attacks. Because of all this, the ranks continue to dwindle. And you expect us to protect you during your precious little games? To be honest, we've got more important things to do."

The ad even includes a list of nine things the delegates need to be aware of before they choose NYC-most of which, when you get right down to it, say in essence that if the Olympic Games are brought here, we're going to be attacked again-and the cops won't have the numbers or morale to stop it.

(Unless, of course, their contract demands are met.)

It's a grim message, and we can't say we're exactly thrilled they resorted to hauling out that creaky "9/11 excuse" again, but in this case we hope it's effective, and hope it made it into the right hands.