Mayor Adams budgets 5,000 more NYPD officers over three years, but incoming mayor will have final say

In a move with implications for the next city administration, Mayor Eric Adams said Friday he was increasing the budgeted police headcount in his November financial plan by 5,000 officers, which would boost the NYPD head count to 40,000, the highest level in more than 20 years.

"The vast majority of New Yorkers want more police officers on their streets and in the subways, and that is what we are delivering by adding these 5,000 new officers," Adams said in a statement. The total cost of adding the new officers over three fiscal years would be nearly $316 million by fiscal year 2029.

Adams' announcement comes at a time when he has just over two months left in his term.  That means it will be up to the next mayor to keep his budget plan. The city faces what the independent Citizens Budget Commission said is a projected $6 billion to $8 billion budget shortfall in fiscal 2027, said CBC vice president of research Ana Champeny.

Democratic mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani has said he planned to keep the NYPD at its current authorized strength of 35,000 while independent candidate Andrew M. Cuomo, who was endorsed by Adams, said he planned to add 5,000 new cops. Police strength is now around 33,700.

At a political luncheon Friday in Brighton Beach, Cuomo said that any attempt by Mamdani to freeze the police budget would be in effect defunding the police.

Political consultant Hank Sheinkopf who represents labor unions such as the Detectives’ Endowment Association, said he believed the Adams plan was an effort to counter Mamdani’s idea of keeping the NYPD force level static and cutting officers in the subway.

A spokesman for Mamdani didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa wants 7,000 more officers with better pay.

Police Benevolent Association president Patrick Hendry said Friday that the additional officers would still only mean the force was treading water due to attrition trends, since overworked officers are leaving for other departments with better pay and incentives:

"We just lost 2,400 police officers this year, that is not even including November and December," Hendry said.

Scott Munro, head of the detectives union, said increased officers could mean more detectives, who have also been leaving the NYPD in high numbers. "New York citizens need them now," Munro said.

Richard Aborn, president of the nonprofit New York Citizens Crime Commission, said the addition of more officers could further drop crime, which has been trending lower this year than in any post-pandemic period.

"The most immediate challenge the NYPD faces in terms of headcount is to reduce attrition and improve recruiting," said Aborn. "Improving recruitment would help with attrition because cops are asked to work too much overtime."

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.