New York, NY – Mayor: Budget Means Police Force Must Shrink

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    New York, NY – Hard economic times mean that New York City will have to reduce the size of its police force, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Friday.

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    “We cannot afford the size police force, fire department, of any of these agencies if we have a $400 million deficit,” said the mayor, referring to the state budget passed Thursday that the city said failed to deliver roughly $400 million in savings that the mayor had demanded.

    Shortly afterward, he said the city was on track to set a record low in murders and crime even though the city has cut the number of New York Police Department officers on the payroll by more than 5,000 since 2002.

    “Just think about that. The job is not to spend as much as you can. The job is to provide the service you need and then do it as efficiently as you can,” Bloomberg said.

    Still, spokesman Marc LaVorgna said a few hours later, the administration does “not anticipate layoffs of uniformed officers will be necessary.”

    The Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association police union declined to comment.

    The mayor’s proposed budget already calls for the closing of 20 fire companies. He has asked city agencies to suggest additional cuts of 2 to 4 percent but still hasn’t detailed which ones will make it into the budget.

    Bloomberg’s plan also includes the removal of more than 6,000 public school teachers from the city payroll, but he said Friday that number is still being discussed.


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    12 Comments
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    Shmoger
    Shmoger
    12 years ago

    can we outvote the mayor somehow?

    12 years ago

    Crime is rising in NYC. Last night on the R train I witnessesd a gang of 5 black teenagers grab an iphone from a girl sitting next to the door. NYC, welcome back to the bad old days of crime.

    Flgroup
    Flgroup
    12 years ago

    Less police officers does not have to increase crime, the officers on the job should focus on crime not on fulfilling traffic tickets quotas (but the tickets fill the city coffers)

    12 years ago

    The NYCPD cannot destroy crime, as many crimes take place indoors. Most of the functions of the patrol force, are merely to record crimes, which have already taken place. It is the detective division which makes the majority of the arrests. Personally, I think that the NYCPD is overbloated, and it is about time that it went on a diet. Too many cops have cushy jobs, at desks, when they should be pounding a beat. The civilians can have the desk jobs, and the cops should be on the street where they belong. Also, all of the cops who are stationed overseas at nice overseas outposts (i.e. London, Paris, Rome), should be recalled. Kelly has not shown a correlation with having those cops stationed overseas, and a reduction in terrorist activity. We have federal law enforcement individuals who are well qualified to man posts overseas, and oversee terrorist activity.

    12 years ago

    All outside contractors should be let go before any fire house is closed
    All outside contactors should be let go before any police offices or fire
    person is fired

    Butterfly
    Butterfly
    12 years ago

    Crime has been going up, up, up during the past 2 years and the police force has been going down, down, down!! We cannot afford to decrease the police force any more!!

    charliehall
    charliehall
    12 years ago

    Cuts in public safety during the 1960s led directly to the disasters of the 1970s. We need to bite the bullet and pay higher taxes in order to maintain levels of public safety staffing. Otherwise, our property values will fall and it will cost us far more than the tax increase would have been.