New York – NYPD officers continue to flee from the job at an alarming rate, according to new data obtained by The Post. Many believe that number will get worse as the city has cut several upcoming academies, which will reduce the agency to numbers not seen in decades.
A total of 2,516 NYPD cops have left so far this year, the fourth highest number in the past decade and 43% more than the 1,750 who hightailed it in 2018, before the pandemic and crime spikes hit the city, NYPD pension data show.
The number of cops quitting before they reach the 20 years required to receive their full pensions also skyrocketed from 509 in 2020 to 1,040 so far this year — an alarming 104% increase, the data show.
Many of those officers are fleeing to jobs out of state and to agencies that have proven to be supportive of the job according to leadership author and trainer, Travis Yates.
Yates tells us that there will be a “point of no return” for the Big Apple when the retention levels reach a peak, recruiting will never be able to catch up.
“Unfortunately, I believe cities like New York, Minneapolis, Chicago, and others will transition into a ‘new normal’ and that will damage citizens in those communities, particular minorities who historically are victimized at a much higher rates,” Yates said.
There will be other catastrophes due to weak leadership according to Yates but it will not be easily observed for years to come.
Yates said that the current “burn rate” of cops that stay are at an all time high.
“They are working more hours, away from their families and the job is more difficult than ever before,” Yates told us.
Saying that the negative aspects of that will and has manifested into a mental health crisis like the profession has never seen, Yates calls on every law enforcement leader to consider how their decisions will impact officers for years to come.
