NEW YORK CITY, NY – After months of delays and cancellations, the NYPD plans to re-open their police academy in November. Amid rising crime and lower ranks, the police department has struggled with manpower this year.
The new class of recruits will not graduate until May, the additional 900 officers will be a relief to a city with roughly 2,700 fewer officers than last year. The academy class scheduled for March was canceled because of the pandemic.
Another class scheduled for July was canceled because of a $1 billion dollar budget cut. The cut was the city council’s reaction to the Defund the Police movement sparked by George Floyd. Protestors.
*DEA Statement on New NYPD Academy Class* pic.twitter.com/1n650TvNlD
— Detectives’ Endowment Association (@NYCPDDEA) October 24, 2020
The long-delayed class will begin Nov. 2. The program takes six months to complete. Despite the six months wait, NYPD officials are grateful to start filling the almost 20 percent manpower reduction caused by retirements and the pandemic.
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea praised opening the academy:
“That’s a great shot in the arm, 900, but that’s six-plus months away, so we have a lot to still grapple with in terms of getting this violence down.”
NYPD has not received new officers since the 530 recruits graduated in January. The new officers did little to fill the openings left through September by officers retiring at a rate 86 percent higher than for all of 2019.
Commissioner Shea praised his officers struggling with increased violence and protests against police at a time when their budget was drastically cut by the predominately Democratic city council. The council has 46 Democrats and opposed to only three Republicans. Two positions are presently vacant.
During an interview on Oct. 6, Commissioner Shae said:
“Unfortunately, it’s going to get worse before it gets better… these are not normal times by any stretch of the imagination.”
New NYPD academy class means 900 more cops – New York Daily News https://t.co/mJEDnICOOx
— 𝒩𝑒𝓌𝒴𝑜𝓇𝓀𝑒𝓇 ⓽ ⓶ ⓼ 🚹 (@newyorker9_28) October 23, 2020
Shea continued that he was proud of his officers working “in tough circumstances” with diminished resources.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick J. Lynch, was also looking forward to the additional officers. He placed the blame for the shortages directly on the council:
“Our department has never seen so much talent and experience walking off the job as we have these past few months. And thanks to the City Council and Mayor’s ‘Defund the Police’ lunacy, no help is coming any time soon.
“Our elected leaders need to be held responsible for the dangerous path they’ve chosen.”
For the 2021 fiscal year, the $1 billion reduction includes $484 million in cuts to the department; shifting the command of school officers to the Department of Education; eliminating two of the four NYPD training classes this year, which reduced headcount by 1,163 uniform officers; and reducing overtime spending by $352 million, according to the city council. $500 million was moved from NYPD to other city departments.
The council released a statement in July reading:
“The council will be moving forward with hearings and legislation in July to ensure a just transition away from law enforcement in schools, homelessness and mental health so that we can make certain that this is not just a budget shift.”
A detailed list of budget cuts was released by Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office:
- Uniform and civilian overtime reduction- $352.2 million
- Move School Safety Agents from NYPD to DOE – $307.5 million
- Cancel July Police Academy class – $55 million
- Move School Crossing Guards from NYPD – $42.4 million
- Increased revenue from moving 165 TEAs to enforcement – $42 million
- Reduce contract and other non-personnel expenses – $12 million
- TEA vacancy reduction – $5.4 million
- Delay delivery of fleet vehicles – $5 million
- Hiring freeze on non-safety positions – $5 million
- Move Homeless Engagement Unit from NYPD – $4.5 million
- Cancel NYPD FY21 cadet class – $4.2 million
Calls to “defund the police” have turned into actual budget cuts for the officers who do so much to keep us safe. So far this year in NYC, more than 2,000 NYPD officers have resigned because more than $1 billion dollars was cut from the NYPD budget. https://t.co/urVmr5rNrO (2/)
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) October 30, 2020
The Mayor showed his support for the cuts to the police department:
“From reinvesting funds from the NYPD in youth programming and social services, to building new community centers, this budget prioritizes our communities most in need while keeping New Yorker safe.
“As we emerge from the epicenter of COVID-19, it’s now more important than ever to create a fairer city for all.”
President Trump blasted Mayor De Blasio and the city council for the budget cuts. Pointing out that the city once paid workers to paint “Black Lives Matter” in large letters on Fifth Avenue, the president tweeted:
“NYC is cutting Police $’s by ONE BILLION DOLLARS, and yet the @NYCMayor is going to paint a big, expensive, yellow Black Lives Matter sign on Fifth Avenue, denigrating this luxury Avenue.
“This will further antagonize New York’s Finest, who LOVE New York & vividly remember the horrible BLM chant, ‘Pigs In A Blanket, Fry ‘Em Like Bacon’. Maybe our GREAT Police, who have been neutralized and scorned by a mayor who hates & disrespects them, won’t let this symbol of hate be affixed to New York’s greatest street. Spend this money fighting crime instead!”
NYC is cutting Police $’s by ONE BILLION DOLLARS, and yet the @NYCMayor is going to paint a big, expensive, yellow Black Lives Matter sign on Fifth Avenue, denigrating this luxury Avenue. This will further antagonize New York’s Finest, who LOVE New York & vividly remember the….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2020
—
Want to make sure you never miss a story from Law Enforcement Today? With so much “stuff” happening in the world on social media, it’s easy for things to get lost.
Make sure you click “following” and then click “see first” so you don’t miss a thing! (See image below.) Thanks for being a part of the LET family!
