NEW YORK (PIX11) — Over the next two years, 4,000 cops will disappear from New York City streets.
The announcement was made today as part of “painful” and deep cuts to pay for the migrant crisis that will also impact how clean New York City is and how many seats are available in city schools.
The 5% across-the-board cuts will impact everything, including the migrants, who are driving much of the budget crunch.
Under intense budget pressure from a $12 billion migrant crisis and expiring federal pandemic aid, the NYPD will cancel the next five recruiting classes.
As retirements play out over the next two years, the city will have just 29,000 officers by mid-2025. That is the lowest number since the mid-1990s.
Sanitation will also suffer setbacks. There will be fewer wastebaskets around the city. Curbside composting rollout in the Bronx and on Staten Island will be delayed by six months.
In schools, the hiring freeze continues and 37,000 vacant pre-K and 3-K slots will be eliminated next year.
Additionally, middle-schoolers will have more limited options for the free summer program known as Summer Rising.
The one thing the city was least specific about was how it would save money on the migrant crisis itself, even when pressed for answers.
New York City Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan said he knows the Adams administration is in a tough position.
However, the New York City Council, which will have to approve the cuts, is gearing up to push back against the mayor’s plan and also join him in calling for the federal government to pay for the migrants.
“The council is not going to stand for any crucial service cuts that New Yorkers rely on them and keep our city safe and clean,” Brannan said.
