NYPD in Crisis: Cops Fed Up with Crime Reform Laws & Anti-Police Rhetoric
By: Serach Nissim
The New York Police Department seems to be in the midst of an internal crisis– with cops fed up with the anti-police sentiments, politics and their job overall.
In a recent article, the NY Post interviewed 14 current NYPD officers who portrayed their jobs in a very negative light. “I hate it, I can’t speak enough terrible things about it,” one officer, who agreed to be cited only as Jason. “I want to actually be free, free of this mental abuse that I’ve been through. I don’t wish this profession upon anyone.” Jason told the Post that when he had joined the NYPD in the early 2000s, he had been passionate about bringing justice to the vulnerable and helping those in need. He says that now he feels disillusioned and just can’t wait to retire.
The Post interviewed NYPD patrol cops, detectives, sergeants and lieutenants spanning a wide range of ethnicities and time on the force, but the overwhelming rhetoric was the same. NY’s finest expressed exasperation regarding mismanagement and nepotism throughout the department. They noted unrealistic expectations, out-of-touch chiefs and a critical outlook stemming from criminal justice reforms, anti-police rhetoric and progressive politicians. “By the time I finish the paperwork, he’s out, and I’m still sitting in the precinct processing all the paperwork. It’s disheartening,” said one officer regarding the infamous bail reform.
“You’re abused by your own brothers and sisters in blue and harassed to the point of having thoughts of suicide, have to deal with the hate from the community while still dealing with everyday life stresses,” said Mark, another NYPD cop. “I hate this job.” The dissatisfaction is leading the NYPD to experience a mass exodus of uniformed officers. A whopping 9,180 officers have left the force since 2020– 36 percent of whom left even before they were eligible for their full pension. As of Sept. 30, close to 1,630 officers have retired and another 1,426 quit. As per the Post, this year the NYPD is slated to lose about another 4,000 cops.
The cops interviewed complained that promotions and jobs in specialized units are reserved for those who have connections. “Hard work will hardly get you anything, it’s all about who you know, it doesn’t matter what your qualifications are” Noah said. “They keep elevating people into roles when they’ve never done that job as a cop. You have all these supervisors of detective squads … trying to reinvent the wheel when they never did the job themselves,” the officer said.
The officers also gripped about so-called “house mouse” officers, or trained cops who don’t respond to 911 calls but only do administrative tasks. “You have people inside doing nothing,” Jason said. “Get out there and help me answer jobs because I’ve just answered my 20th [911 call] without a meal.”
The officers also warned that now that the force is lacking officers, overtime is utilized to the point that it’s dangerous. “You have to come back in for the day tour [at 7 a.m.] after getting off of work at 4 a.m … Why is that OK? You want me to answer a 911 call, God forbid I run into a robbery with a man with a firearm and now I gotta make a split second decision with three hours of sleep?” Jason said. “We are under so much stress at work, working overtime that is mandated, unable to see our families, and for what? To lock up bad guys that get released the very next day to do it all over again?” Derrick, another cop, added.
An NYPD rep responded saying: “There is a path for everyone in the NYPD. Whether you become a forensic scientist, a helicopter pilot, a neighborhood coordinating officer or a detective who works tirelessly to gain justice for crime victims, their contributions will help us build on the workwe’ve done to strengthen our bonds with the communities we serve.”
The NYPD rep added, “We rolled out new initiatives like executive and command-level Health and Wellness training, a peer support program and increased staffing resources. We have sought input from mental health experts, medical facilities, other police departments and current members of service,” the rep said. “We encourage any of our employees who are having challenges at work or at home to reach out to any of our employee resources so that they can get the help and support they deserve.”
