NYPD officers retiring in record numbers or quitting are a sign of the times. Many even leave before they receive their full pensions. The New York Post published this Saturday report:
Ever-growing exodus figures show 2,465 police officers have filed to leave the department this year — 42% more than the 1,731 who exited at the same time last year, according to the latest pension fund stats obtained by The Post.
More disturbing is the fact that the number of cops hanging up their holsters early — before reaching 20 years for a full pension — has skyrocketed 71% this year from the year before (1,098 from 641).
Jason Caputo, a former NYPD detective, appeared Monday on Fox and Friends to highlight the dangers of safety in New York City.
You’re losing qualified [people], you’re losing experience, you’re losing so much when it comes to that kind of stuff.
Caputo, who has been with the force for 18 years and is now two away from his pension, will leave. On June 28, officers participated in a walkout to mark Caputo’s retirement. The following was his message:
To know me is to know I love the job in and out, but it’s not the same job I joined.
It was an important thing for me that the no-bail law existed. It’s not even really crimefighting anymore. An assault 2 with weapons is an offense that you arrest. The person then returns to the precinct and gets his property the following day. They’re not locking anyone up, even those with records. You owe society your debts. This is a violation of the law.
On his retirement, congratulations to Detective Jason Caputo. In addition to fighting crime, Jason had a mission to keep the memory of Officer Eddie Byrne alive for all to learn about — and the vehicle he maintained does just that. Thank you Detective, DEA! pic.twitter.com/ti6SDVsq7K
— Detectives’ Endowment Association (@NYCPDDEA) June 28, 2022
None of this is surprising in the slightest—after all, who in their right mind would sign up to be a police officer in this day and age? The politicians don’t support you and often are openly hostile, BLM rioted in the streets for months in 2020 with the backing of the authorities and the approving media, and recent laws such as “no-bail” mean that you’ll see the perp you arrested this morning back on the street by lunchtime.
Paul DiGiacomo is president of Detectives Endowment Association.
It’s simple. It’s simple. Detectives are leaving in record numbers due to lack of support from politicians, who seem more concerned with criminals than they do about the New Yorkers and cops they serve.
Similar issues are plaguing the military. Recruiting efforts have dropped to their lowest point since the Vietnam War. It’s not just the NYPD, though. According to the Associated Press, police staffing issues are affecting all departments.
From Philadelphia to Portland to Los Angeles, killings and gun violence are rising at the same time officers worn out by the pandemic and disillusioned over the calls to divest from policing that followed George Floyd’s murder are quitting or retiring faster than they can be replaced.
Chuck Lovell of Portland Police, who has seen 237 police officers leave the department since 2020 is anxious about what the future holds.
For me, I wonder, what the profession is going to be 20 years from now if we’re having these challenges on a nationwide scale. Is it possible to find enough workers to service our cities?
All of this was by design, as the nation was swept up in the nonsensical “Defund the Police” movement. Democrats declared an open war against policing. They woken DAs refusing to prosecute criminals. It’s already bad, but the real worry is for the future: who is going to be willing to protect our streets a decade from now?
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