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NYPD Wants To Get Bigger, Better
By
Garth Johnston
Published Mar 22, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Mar 22, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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New York may still be enjoying a 30-year low in crime but that doesn't mean that Mayor Bloomie 'n Commish Kelly see any reason to "rest on their laurels". Oh no, not when their are still less of New York's Finest now (~36,400) than there were in 2001 (40,710) and new counter-terrorism and other police efforts to man in a city that is expected to grow by another 200,000 people in the next five years (the "equivalent of adding the entire city of Pittsburgh to the five boroughs," according to the Bloom). To help deal, the city is putting up an additional $33.8 million to grow the NYPD payroll by 800 rookie police officers and 400 civilians desk workers.
Of course, filling these jobs isn't going to be easy. The base salery for rookies is $25,100 (it rises to $32,700 after six months and $59,588 after five and a half years). In wages the New York Police Department ranks 157th, behind cities including Newark, Waco, Atlanta, Yonkers, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Detroit according to policepay.net. Some union officials say that the salary is so low that "several new recruits have been forced to rely on food stamps."
So yeah, the NYPD is going to have it's work cut out for it filling those jobs with good recruits waving around that kind of cash, but we wish them luck trying.
NYPD Riot Squad by Frank Lynch.
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