The Police Benevolent Association slammed former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg over his stunning Sunday apology for his administration’s use of stop-and-frisk — by calling the practice city cops carried out for years a “misguided policy” that put officers in the line of fire.

“Mayor Bloomberg could have saved himself this apology if he had just listened to the police officers on the street,” said the union’s president, Patrick Lynch. “We said in the early 2000s that the quota-driven emphasis on street stops was polluting the relationship between cops and our communities.

“His administration’s misguided policy inspired an anti-police movement that has made cops the target of hatred and violence, and stripped away many of the tools we had used to keep New Yorkers safe.”

In a shocking reversal of his long-running defense of the policy, Bloomberg apologized for stop-and-frisk in an appearance that came Sunday morning at Brooklyn’s Christian Cultural Center — and as he’s expected to join the 2020 presidential race.

Mayor Bill de Blasio couldn’t help but note the timing of his City Hall predecessor’s 180-degree turn on the issue in a Sunday tweet.

“This is LONG overdue and the timing is transparent and cynical,” tweeted Hizzoner. “With all due respect to my predecessor, we’ve spent six years undoing the damage he created with this bankrupt policy. We ended stop and frisk AND drove down crime.

“Actions speak louder than words,” said d Blasio, who was forced to give up his own bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination after just a few months on the campaign trail.

Noted stop-and-frisk critic Rev. Al Sharpton — who revealed that Bloomberg called him shortly after making his mea culpa — offered the same skepticism, though mixed with slightly more optimism.

“He called me and said he apologized for stop-and-frisk,” said Sharpton. “I don’t know the motivation, but it’s the right step.

“But it’s going to take more than one speech to earn people’s confidence and forgiveness,” added Sharpton. “We’ll see over time whether this was politically motivated.”