de Blasio, police union heads to meet amid rift

NEW YORK (AP) -- New York's mayor is aiming to clear the air with police unions after rancor brewed over the shooting deaths of police officers and City Hall's response to protests over police conduct.

Administration officials said Mayor Bill de Blasio, Police Commissioner William Bratton and union heads planned a private meeting Tuesday.

A rift between de Blasio and much of the New York Police Department's rank and file has widened recently. Union leaders have said the mayor fostered an anti-NYPD atmosphere and it contributed to the officers' deaths.

Some people turned their backs on de Blasio at a police graduation Monday and one officer's funeral Sunday.

The Democratic mayor was elected last year on promises of keeping crime low while reforming the NYPD. Meanwhile, police unions have been seeking new contracts.

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