NYC Mayor Eric Adams advocates for increased NYPD staffing amidst officer shortage

New York City's Democratic Mayor, Eric Adams, stated on Monday that there is a need for additional police officers in the city, highlighting that the NYPD is currently operating with over 2,000 fewer officers compared to the period before the pandemic.

“We can use more,” Adams told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “I’m very clear on that.”

“The numbers are down, but based on the numbers, no one does it better than the New York Police Department,” Adams stated.

Recently, there has been a significant increase in resignations and retirements within the NYPD. Currently, the force consists of 33,582 uniformed personnel, a decrease from approximately 36,000 before the pandemic struck, the New York Post reports.

From the beginning of the year until August, there have been 613 resignations alongside 1,042 retirements from the New York police department. Particularly notable was the departure of 239 officers in January and February, marking the largest departure since 2007, based on NYPD pension statistics.

Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said the “NYPD staffing emergency is approaching the point of no return.”

The exodus of officers seems to have decelerated compared to the previous year, during which the NYPD experienced an unprecedented departure of over 3,700 officers.

In a related development this year, the NYPD adjusted its physical fitness criteria in an effort to recruit more female officers, a move that purportedly required the mayor's endorsement.

“We must start recruiting young people to get back into the profession of law enforcement,” Adams said on Monday.

In July, Adams minimized the concerns of New Yorkers regarding crime, attributing the heightened perception of insecurity to extensive media coverage, saying that it "plays on your psyche."

“They start their day picking up the news, the morning papers… and they see some of the most horrific events that may happen throughout the previous day,” Adams told Fox 5.

Many within the law enforcement community argue that departments are experiencing a decline in morale, a situation exacerbated by surging anti-police sentiment that reached its peak with the 2020 police-involved death of George Floyd.

This anti-police sentiment has been compounded by decisions from some city councils to significantly cut police funding. As a result, various police chiefs are grappling with a sense of neglect, facing increased challenges in maintaining public safety with resources that they feel are insufficient.