Andrew Cuomo Unveils Aggressive Plan to Bolster NYPD Ranks, Morale
Cuomo Will Attract, Hire, & Retain NYPD Officers; Increase Public Safety
“Its no secret that NYPD officers feel demoralized, disrespected, and burned out. As a result, police officers are retiring and resigning in droves and New York City’s public safety is worse off for it,” Governor Cuomo said. “This plan will help reverse years of damage caused by ‘defund-the-police’ policies and will give New Yorkers the motivated and fully-staffed police department they deserve.”
Watch the Press Conference Here
View Cuomo’s Power Point Presentation Here
Governor Andrew Cuomo, candidate for mayor of New York City, today unveiled a new, aggressive public safety initiative to bolster the ranks of the NYPD and reverse the dangerous exodus from the ranks of New York’s Finest.
This $250 million, five-year plan aims to attract and retain 5,000 new officers, bringing the total headcount of the force to more than 39,000 – roughly the same size it was 25 years ago. While the current NYPD headcount continues to fall, so does the number of potential replacements, with applications for the NYPD falling from 18,000 in 2017 to 8,000 today. Meanwhile, crime in NYC remains elevated, with major felonies up 30 percent from pre-pandemic levels, and transit crime has surged nearly 60 percent compared to the first half of 2019.
“Its no secret that NYPD officers feel demoralized, disrespected, and burned out. As a result, police officers are retiring and resigning in droves and New York City’s public safety is worse off for it,” Governor Cuomo said. “This plan will help reverse years of damage caused by ‘defund-the-police’ policies and will give New Yorkers the motivated and fully-staffed police department they deserve.”
Incentive Plan Highlights:
Recruitment Bonuses: New hires will be eligible for a $15,000 sign-on bonus designed to make the NYPD competitive with police departments in neighboring counties and other major U.S. cities.
Retention Incentives: In order to retain officers and incentive proper training, a series of bonuses will be put in place as follows:
$5,000 annual stipend for officers in years 2-5 who meet certain performance and conduct benchmarks.
$3,000 annual stipends for officers in years 6-9 in good standing who have satisfactory performance evaluations, and no major disciplinary actions.
$2,500 annual longevity and promotion stipends for officers with 10 or more years of experience and are promoted to a supervisory or specialized role.
SRG Expansion Expansion: Funding will also support the Strategic Response Group (SRG), the NYPD's elite specialized unit tasked with counter-terrorism and civil unrest response. The plan calls for 400 new SRG officers over four years to improve coverage in all five boroughs,particularly at major transit hubs,commercial corridors, and high-risk public spaces.
Community Engagement Bonus Tracks: Officers who complete specialized community policing, language, or mental health crisis training will be eligible for additional compensation and advancement opportunities.
Salary Parity Review: A formal commitment to reevaluate NYPD starting salaries, currently at $60,884—well below Los Angeles ($94,753,) Houston ($78,452) and Phoenix (74,360) —to better compete nationally.
Eliminate Educational Barriers: Create a city-funded scholarship covering full tuition and fees at CUNY and SUNY institutions for all NYPD officers who have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree, making college completion free, removing a key financial barrier to career advancement.
This is the first plank of Governor Cuomo’s agenda to help build a new New York City. Further parts of the agenda will be unveiled in the coming days.
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