PBA's Lynch says 'actions speak louder than words' about meeting with mayor

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio met with the city's police unions Tuesday in an effort to calm the firestorm of anger over his perceived betrayal of the NYPD.

After more than two hours of discussions, the NYC PBA's President Patrick Lynch emerged and made a short comment on the meeting.

"We are here today representing every rank in the NYPD, the presidents, vice presidents, of all the respective unions. We came here today to have a discussion. Our main concern is the safety of our police officers of every rank on the streets of the city and the safety of the citizens that we proudly serve on each and every street and each and every neighbor here today. There were a number of discussions, especially about the safety issues that our members face, there was no resolve (resolution), and our thought here today is that actions speak louder than words, and time will tell," said Patrick Lynch, NYC PBA President.

Mayor Bill de Blasio did not address the press after the meeting.

It has been a year filled with tension between de Blasio and the New York City Police Department. The tensions have grown exponentially since the apparent police chokehold death of Eric Garner last summer, and the decision by the grand jury not to indict any officers in the case. The shooting deaths of NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu escalated the tensions to the highest level ever.

De Blasio met with leaders of the Captains Endowment Association, Lieutenants Benevolent Association, Sergeants Benevolent Association, Detectives' Endowment Association, and Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and senior leadership of the NYPD also attended the private meeting.

Lynch has been one of de Blasio's fiercest critics, saying the mayor had "blood on his hands" after the brazen daylight ambush on two officers in their patrol car earlier this month. He has accused de Blasio of aligning himself with protesters who have created an anti-NYPD atmosphere that led to the shooting.

De Blasio's press secretary said in a statement that the meeting "focused on building a productive dialogue and identifying ways to move forward together."

"The mayor and police commissioner remain committed to keeping crime in New York City at historically low levels," Phil Walzak said in the statement, "supporting the brave men and women in uniform who protect us every day, and finding ways to bring police and the community closer together."