NYPD cops will work 12-hour shifts for World Cup, nation's 250th anniversary events in July

As New York City prepares to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary and the World Cup, NYPD officers will be doing 12-hour shifts during the first week of July to deal with the expected crush of people in the city, Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Wednesday.

In a department-wide message sent to all officers, Tisch said the anticipated "unprecedented demands" on the NYPD has prompted the department to move to 12-hour shifts for the majority of uniformed police from July 1 to July 7.

"Additional dates may be added as we get closer to the World Cup Finals in the middle of July," said Tisch. The NYPD had no immediate estimate of the cost of the move.

The World Cup final will take place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. The tournament, which is expecting record crowds, is hosted across cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

New York City is also expected to host several events to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday. These include a tall ships and naval vessel parade and docking from July 3 to July 9 in New York Harbor, and an exhibition at the New York Public Library of Thomas Jefferson's handwritten draft of the Declaration of Independence during July's first week.

The NYPD has nearly 22,000 uniformed patrol officers and about 5,000 detectives, along with specialized units, according to a department dashboard. Including all ranks, the NYPD counts about 34,800 officers.

Given the high-profile events in the city as well as the current tensions in the Middle East, Tisch had earlier said the NYPD was trying to get clearance from the federal government to take down hostile drones. 

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.