VIA U.S. MAIL & ELECTRONIC MAIL
Thomas M. Rutledge
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Charter Communications, Inc.
400 Atlantic Street
Stamford, CT 06901
Dear Mr. Rutledge:
On behalf of the more than 40,000 active and retired New York City police officers who are members of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association of the City of New York, I write to call your attention to the outrageous anti-police messages apparently being spread by one or more of your employees while on duty representing your company.
The attached photo appears to show a marked Time Warner Cable vehicle with hand-made signs posted inside its windows, reading: “Please don’t choke me out like you did Eric Garner!!!” and “How many cops does it take to follow one black man? All of them.” Our understanding is that this photo was taken on January 18, 2017 at approximately 8:30 p.m. in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens, New York.
We sincerely hope that this baseless denigration of police officers does not reflect the views and values of Charter Communications or the Time Warner Cable brand. While New York City police officers have always protected the public’s right to free expression, whether or not we agree with the views being expressed, these messages are extraordinarily offensive to law enforcement officers everywhere and are completely inappropriate for any commercial setting. The women and men of the NYPD are not only responsible for protecting your company’s employees and assets in New York City; many of us are also your customers.
We demand that appropriate disciplinary action be taken against every Charter Communications employee responsible for the posting of these messages. Please contact us at your earliest convenience to advise us of what action you will take in regard to this matter.