They took a sworn oath to uphold the law. Now they don’t bother because their bosses told them not to?
Would you work for someone who forbid you to do your job and to ignore your sworn oath, all while taking money from other people who pay to to perform your job?
Have you ever worked in uniform? You are told to follow the last order given you, whether you like it or not. Unless the order is illegal, or it is a threat to your safety and others, you have to obey the order, and then file a grievance afterwards. You can't simply refuse to obey it, because you will be brought up on disciplinary charges. Been there, done that.
Why should a police officer give up their job, their seniority, their retirement benefits because of some stupid politicians? I'd sit back and watch those politicians destroy themselves instead of destroying my life. It's easy for you to make that decision because you're not in their shoes. Invest 15 years into the job, and then tell me you'd resign because the brass is licking the Mayor's balls.
The police in NYC don’t work for the citizenry, and they sure as hell don’t care about a silly “oath of office.”