Mayor Zohran Mamdani opposes hiring more cops to fight crime, but what about to police block parties and concerts?
Looks like New Yorkers may be out of luck there, too.
While crime (so far) has remained under control, the NYPD’s manpower shortage is forcing the city to ban large public events, including birthday parties, from city parks during the FIFA World Cup this summer.
City Hall projects spending $12 million for NYPD security, including overtime, during the games, yet NYPD boss Jessica Tisch nonetheless saw a need to have Mamdani sign the emergency ban.
That’s largely because her department is 6,000 cops short of peak staffing, and they’ll be stretched thin patrolling events tied to the soccer tournament and to America’s 250th anniversary, and Zoh refuses to hire more cops.
City permits for public demonstrations will be exempt from Mamdani’s emergency order. (Natch.)
Meanwhile, attrition is taking a toll on the force as hundreds of officers quit every month.
“When this summer’s massive workload hits, it’s going to push even more [cops] out the door,” predicts NYPD Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry.
Still, Mamdani’s budget leaves NYPD spending flat — with no provision for new recruitments to offset the exodus of veteran cops.
Expect the department’s overtime and retention issues to worsen.
Brace, too, to see professional protesters try to take advantage of an overtaxed police force this summer.
It’s tragic. The NYPD had been on track to hire thousands more officers, but Gotham’s #DefundthePolice mayor killed that plan right off the bat.
New Yorkers will now have to hope banned parties and concerts are the worst pain to come from it.
