Last month just hours after two New York policemen were shot dead in their patrol car, Pat Lynch, the police union boss accused the mayor of having "blood on his hands” in this case.

It is said that Lynch's attack was basically prompted by the thought that many police officers had. All of them felt that the mayor has failed to defend the police against criticism that overly aggressive tactics which have been the cause behind the death of a black suspect.

In the weeks that followed this shooting incident, Lynch became the face of an extraordinary revolt against Mayor Bill de Blasio. This outrage led to officers turning their backs on de Blasio at police funerals. Also, a sharp slowdown in arrests and court summonses was witnessed. On this, the mayor has struggled to combat the perception that he has lost control over his police force which is the largest in the whole of United States.

In interviews, Lynch’s union, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA), have talked about their internal turmoil. By following the interviews of more than 40 police officers and union insiders it is evident that their support to Lynch among the rank-and-file is slipping.

Sean Guzerian, police veteran and union delegate said, “Pat Lynch has lost the membership. The bosses don’t respect him, and the cops are tired of him. They look at him as a politician, not a police officer”.

In his defense, Lynch denies the fact that rank and file members are deserting him. In an interview to Reuters, he stated that it is he who has turned the old, corrupt, ineffective PBA into a member service organization where the members' needs are always first and foremost.