Op-ed by CBB Law Enforcement Advisory Council member David Berez published in The Daily Signal re. shooting death of NYPD Officer Didarul Islam

The funeral ceremony for Didarul Islam, a Bangladeshi-American officer with the New York Police Department (NYPD), is held with a large turnout from police units across New York and surrounding areas, on July 31, 2025. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Op-ed by David Berez, Citizens Behind the Badge Advisory Council member:

In Monday’s devastating Manhattan shooting that claimed NYPD Officer Didarul Islam’s life, we witnessed two profoundly different responses that define the choice facing New York voters: courageous optimism versus political cowardice.

Officer Islam embodied courageous optimism—the conscious choice to serve others despite mortal danger, maintaining unwavering principles regardless of personal cost. When he confronted the gunman, this officer made the ultimate sacrifice to protect innocent lives. His daily decision to wear the badge knowing the risks, demonstrates the essence of courageous optimism: believing individual sacrifice can protect the greater good.

This was not naive hope but costly courage—facing danger daily, making split-second decisions under pressure, maintaining faith in justice even in chaos… Continue reading the article on The Daily Signal