New York City’s Police Department struggles to recruit new officers amid an ongoing crime wave through the Democrat-run state.
According to a report, NYPD officers are resigning at a record-breaking rate, with 239 officers leaving in January and February, a 36 percent increase from the 176 who resigned in the same period last year and a shocking 117 percent hike from the 110 in 2021.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said, “the NYPD staffing emergency is approaching the point of no return.”
A former Manhattan cop said that the NYPD needs to be “rebuilt from the ground up” and “unfixable in its current state.”
“It’s not just politics and poor pay,” the officer said. “Precinct cops are being forced to work an inhumane amount of overtime, including on their days off, while being penalized for minor uniform and administrative infractions. Meanwhile, precincts barely have enough personnel to meet the minimum required to safely answer 911 calls.”
Last year, Democratic Mayor Eric Adams touted the NYPD, saying he was not worried about the mass exodus from the force.
“New York City Department is an amazing career. I know it first hand. We’re going to find young men and women who are going to want to be a member of New York City’s finest. I also believe we are not deploying our resources properly,” Adams said.
When Adams was sworn in as mayor in 2022, crime was already sweeping through the city at a devastating rate. Nevertheless, he attracted voters for vowing to bring New York City back to pre-Covid times as thousands were fleeing the city.
Over 1,400 cops are projected to resign this year before qualifying for retirement, even more than last year’s record 1,297 early exits.
According to sources, 21 cops quit in just two days — Feb. 20 and 21 — to join the MTA.
Murders and shootings in the city skyrocketed by 44 and 97 percent, the highest Manhattan has seen in recent years.