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By: Jerome Brookshire
The New York Police Department is facing an unprecedented staffing crisis as retirements among officers skyrocket, with union officials warning that the crisis could spiral out of control if Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, the party’s nominee for New York City mayor, prevails in November.
According to data obtained by The New York Post from the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), 1,555 officers have filed for retirement as of Monday—a staggering 48% increase over the same period last year and 65% higher than the number of retirements a decade ago. PBA leadership and rank-and-file officers alike are sounding the alarm that the rise of anti-police political figures like Mamdani is not only eroding morale but actively driving long-serving officers off the job.
“We can’t afford to have a mayor who ignores the problem or tries to take us backward,” PBA President Patrick Hendry told The New York Post. “We need a mayor who will speak up for police officers and treat us and pay us like the professionals we are.”
While the PBA has not yet endorsed a candidate in the current mayoral race, Mamdani’s radical platform—which has included calls to defund, dismantle, and even describe the NYPD as ‘wicked and corrupt’—has sent shockwaves through police precincts across the city. And the data appears to validate those fears.
The PBA noted that never in recent history has the department seen such a high rate of officer exits in the first half of a calendar year. Though retirement eligibility and overtime-related incentives are part of the equation, union leaders say Mamdani’s rhetoric is accelerating an already dire exodus.
The New York Post spoke with a 20-year NYPD veteran from Queens who is preparing to retire this month. His decision, he says, was “sealed” the night Mamdani won the June 24 Democratic primary.
“The Democratic candidate who won is very anti-cop,” the officer said. “He has an extremist attitude, and it’s going to scare other cops—and they will go out the door.”
The officer, who joined the force in the wake of the September 11 attacks, recalled feeling abandoned by politicians during the George Floyd protests of 2020 and now sees history repeating itself.
“We didn’t get any support from politicians,” he said of that tumultuous period. “We need a leader that’s not going to come with an anti-police attitude.”
Mamdani, a self-described Democratic Socialist, initially advocated for defunding the police before walking back that position during a public debate in June. However, officers interviewed by The New York Post say the damage is already done.
“He doesn’t talk to cops,” the Queens officer said. “You’ve never met us, but you’re saying we’re biased? It’s offensive to everyone in law enforcement.”
Union officials say this disconnect between political rhetoric and law enforcement reality is contributing to a profound morale crisis. “Right now, we have a recruitment and retention problem,” said Lou Turco, president of the Lieutenants Benevolent Association. “But if he gets in, more guys with over 20 [years] are going to say, ‘What am I doing this for?’”
The crisis isn’t limited to beat cops. The Detectives’ Endowment Association (DEA) is also seeing a sharp uptick in retirements. 606 detectives have retired as of July 1, compared to 455 in all of 2024, DEA President Scott Munro confirmed to The New York Post.
The number of detectives in NYPD ranks has plunged by 33% since 2001, when there were more than 7,000 detectives. Today, the number stands at just 4,716.
“If Mamdani does get elected, there’s going to be mass retirement,” Munro warned. “He doesn’t believe in law enforcement.”
City officials are not blind to the crisis. According to NYPD spokeswoman Delaney Kempner, the department has reduced college credit requirements for new recruits and ramped up Academy classes in an effort to plug the staffing hole. Roughly 1,700 new officers have been hired this year.
Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s deployment of hundreds of officers to subway patrols also provided many officers with overtime pay—another factor that makes 2025 an attractive retirement year. Officers nearing the 20-year mark often time their exits to coincide with their highest earnings to maximize pensions.
“Nearly every leader now at 1 Police Plaza, City Hall, and Albany agrees that this crisis is serious,” said PBA President Hendry in a statement to The New York Post. “But we need action, not just agreement.”
Both Mamdani’s campaign and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s office, long seen as a political ally, declined to comment on the rising tide of NYPD retirements when contacted by The New York Post.
Their silence has done little to reassure law enforcement personnel, many of whom view the race as a referendum not only on policing but on public order and institutional legitimacy.
In contrast, Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain now running on the Independent line, has maintained firm support for the department. The New York Post reported that many in law enforcement credit Adams for providing steady support during tumultuous moments over the last two years—an approach they fear Mamdani would abandon.
With the NYPD’s backbone aging into retirement and its next generation increasingly reluctant to join, New York stands at a precarious juncture. Mamdani’s primary victory has electrified progressives but alarmed public safety advocates. As The New York Post report indicated, law enforcement agencies cannot function on enthusiasm alone—they require leadership that respects the rule of law, supports those who enforce it, and understands the consequences of politicizing public safety.
The election ahead may be about more than ideology. For hundreds of NYPD officers, it is a question of whether they will continue to serve the city—or leave it behind.