Getting More Cops on Patrol: Mayor Adams' Plan

Mayor Adams wants more cops on the streets. He's asking Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to find ways to move cops from desk jobs back to patrol duties. Adams believes cops are good at hiding in administrative units, and he wants them back on the streets to fight crime. Patrick Hendry, head of the Police Benevolent Association, disagrees. He says cops aren't hiding; they're burned out. The city is short on cops and losing more each month. Shuffling cops around won't help, he says. The city should focus on keeping good cops. Mayor Adams thinks cops in administrative units should patrol two days a week. He also wants the NYPD Barrier Section, which puts up barriers for events, to be on the street. But it's unclear if cops with disciplinary cases should be on patrol. Councilmember Gail Brewer agrees more cops are needed on the streets. But each cop's job should be looked at carefully. Mayor Adams wants all cops with guns and shields to be on patrol. He thinks this will help with the shortage of police personnel. In March, police leaders said overtime was the only way to deal with staffing shortages. Overtime costs exceeded $1 billion last year. Cops are often pulled from patrol for special units or to fill gaps. In December, Commissioner Tisch tried to end the practice of transferring cops without proper paperwork. She says this hurts the department's ability to manage staffing and slow response times. The Mayor's Management report in September showed police response times are the longest in decades. Many top overtime earners are in administrative posts.