by David Cruz 

A push for calm in the aftermath of two cops fatally shot in Brooklyn has reverberated in the Bronx, with legislators siding with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s stance for unity following weeks of tensions and strained relations.

In Kingsbridge Heights, legislators and residents stood outside the 50th Precinct, pushing for a more tempered city two days after Police Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were gunned down by Ismaaiyl Brinsley,  a mentally ill Baltimore man bent on killing police officers. Brinsley would later kill himself while on the platform of a subway station.

The shooting deepened the schism between the NYPD and City Hall, at odds over the way the Police Department has been perceived.

But Bronx legislators are now calling for unity in a city crippled by polarizing viewpoints. Rabbi Avi Weiss, a local clergyman, led the somber gathering at Kingsbridge and 236th Street. With him were State Senator Jeff Klein, Congressman Jose Serrano, and Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz.

“I’m saddened and outraged by the vicious murders of Officers Ramos and Liu. As we mourn their loss, we must all unite and recognize their heroic work and that of all the men and women of the NYPD who put their lives on the line every day to keep our city safe,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz, who represents Norwood.

In a statement, Councilman Andrew Cohen, also representing Norwood, called the two slain officers “heroes.”

“Let us honor Police Officers Liu and Ramos by standing together in unity. Their ultimate sacrifice must be shown respect,” said Councilman Cohen. “We must support the NYPD and stand with them in solidarity while we mourn the loss of two great men.”

His words were echoed in Brooklyn, where Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., visiting the site where the two officers were slain, offered condolences while praising the work of the NYPD.

“We could not see crime at record lows, in the Bronx or anywhere else in the City, without the hard work and dedication of the NYPD,” said Diaz Jr.

Diaz Jr.’s remarks were in stark contrast to those he made against Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, the city’s largest police union, who allowed a form letter that demanded Mayor de Blasio skip the funeral of any impending officer killed in the line of duty to be posted on the PBA’s website.

Lynch, stoking the flames of division further, said many have “blood on their hands” following the Brooklyn shooting. Officers would also turn their back on the mayor and NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton as the pair walked past them inside a hallway in Woodhull Hospital, where the officers died on Sunday.

The shooting capped three weeks of tensions in the city following a grand jury’s decision not to indict Darren Wilson, a former officer of the Ferguson, Missouri police department who fatally shot Michael Brown, an unarmed black man. Wilson, who is white, claims the shooting was justified after Brown rushed at him.

Protests would soon overtake New York City, intensifying further after a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict NYPD Police Officer Danny Pantaleo, who is white, in the death of Eric Garner, who was black.

Protesters quickly condemned the killings of the two officers, notably Millions March NYC, which led thousands of people through the streets of Manhattan a week before the officers shootings. A statement posted on the group’s Facebook page emphasized that the tragedy is “in no way connected to our march.”

“[We] are disappointed with any entity that would try to imply such connection,” the statement finished.

Protesters have been trying to distance themselves from the weekend’s fatal shooting along with politicians who joined in demonstrations for police reforms.

“The men and women of the NYPD deserve the utmost respect for their energies and efforts in serving and protecting all of New York,” said King in a statement. But King noted that he’s “disturbed and appalled” that some are linking Brinsley’s actions to protesters. During the demonstration, chants of “Who do we want? Dead Cops” can be heard.

Councilman Fernando Cabrera, who took part in several New York City Council demonstrations chastising the NYPD, also made clear the Brinsley’s lone acts “should not tarnish the efforts of New Yorkers who seek a constructive dialogue to improve police relations with the community.”

On Monday, Mayor de Blasio visited a function for the Police Athletic League in Manhattan. Appearing somber, Mayor de Blasio acknowledged police deserve a sense of gratitude, a departure from the backhanded tone he’s had of police. Instead, he told an audience, to thank a police.

“The work of bringing police and community together is sacred,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Slowly but surely we move forward. Sometimes we are pained in a difficult moment, but we can’t ever stop.”