NYPD Sees ‘Troubling’ 400 Percent Surge in Retirement Applications
The New York Police Department is experiencing a surge of over 400 percent in retirement applications from officers amid tensions with city officials and after the city’s police budget was slashed by city officials.
Over the last week, 179 NYPD officers have filed for retirement, up from only 35 during the same week last year, an eye-popping 411 percent increase.
Protests and riots began across New York City and other metropolitan areas around the country shortly after the police-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25. From then to Monday of this week, 503 NYPD officers have filed for retirement, up from 287 officers who filed for retirement last year during the same weeks. Another 40 NYPD officers have simply resigned.
“While the decision to retire is a personal one and can be attributed to a range of factors, it is a troubling trend that we are closely monitoring,” said NYPD spokesperson Sergeant Mary Frances O’Donnell.
The retirement applications are now coming in faster than the department can handle them, causing the department to limit the number of daily applicants.
The wave of retirement applications also comes after New York City slashed its police budget by $1 billion last week, following weeks of calls from protesters to defund police departments.
“Of course, cops are retiring at a higher rate,” said Chris Monahan, president of the Captains Endowment Association. “We’ve been abandoned by the NYPD and elected officials.”
Meanwhile, the city’s murder rate for the month ending June 7 has more than doubled from the same period last year, and shooting victims have increased by 45 percent.
“The increase in detectives and other cops filing for retirement comes as no shock,” said Paul DiGiacomo, president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association. “No one wants to come to work every day and be demoralized and vilified as they risk their lives to protect people.”
“New Yorkers are losing their most experienced crime fighters because of continued violence in the city and the apathy of misguided elected officials,” DiGiacomo added.
