OWS Oakland - A Tale of Two Positions

First we go to NY -

"Deeply concerned" police sergeants are coming out swinging today against obnoxious Wall Street protesters, saying they plan to "pursue legal action" against demonstrators who injure any of its members.

Ed Mullins, president of the NYPD's Sergeant’s Benevolent Association, said his group plans to pursue legal claims against Occupy Wall Street protesters should they cause injury to any of its 5,000 members.

“In light of the growing violence attendant to the 'Occupy' movements across the country, particularly as evidenced by the recent events in Oakland, I am compelled to place these so-called 'occupiers' on notice that physical assaults on police officers will not be tolerated."

"I am deeply concerned that protesters will be emboldened by the recent rash of violent acts against police officers in other cities. New York’s police officers are working around the clock as the already overburdened economy in New York is being drained by 'occupiers' who intentionally and maliciously instigate needless and violent confrontations with the police."

The Real Effect
The questions I have for the police sergeant are two-fold:

• You believe your officers are citizens and are under the full protection and constraint of the law? (Incidentally, I do)
• Does this status also apply to the rest of the city? Let's say veteran Scott Olsen or Sgt. Shamar Thomas? Or is this a privileged position that one enjoys being a member of the PD?

I suppose we could go even further on the line of questioning and ask the following:

• How much of this is your real department policy and how much has been mandated via Homeland Security in light of exercises such as Operation Urban Warrior which was being executed in 1999, a full TWO YEARS before the events of  9/11?