Almost 2,000 NYPD officers quitting before getting full pensions 

The exodus of New York Police Department (NYPD) officers keeps growing. More than 2,465 police officers have quit this year, 42% more than in the same period last year, according to pension fund statistics obtained by The New York Post. 

Many of the NYPD officers that are filing to leave the department are doing so before reaching 20 years and getting their full pension.

Officers usually work 20 years or more to collect their full pension, which can match their final three years of average salary. However, the number of cops quitting early skyrocketed to 71% compared to last year’s figures. 

NYPD Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said these are “voluntary quits.”

“We have had retirement waves caused by large academy classes before — they were nothing like this,” said Lynch.

“This exodus is the result of cops in the prime of their careers deciding they have had enough. … The NYPD should stop trying to explain this staffing crisis away. Admit there’s a problem and help us fix it,” he said.

The current NYPD roster has some 34,687 police officers, a decrease from 2019 when there were 36,900 officers in the force.

Many police officers cite the city’s rising crime rates, anti-police hostility, and bail reform as some of the main reasons for leaving the blue uniform. 

“They are leaving for other opportunities where they’re paid better, treated better and have a better quality of life,” Lynch added.

Also affecting the number of police officers in the Big Apple’s force is that there haven’t been big academy classes that have graduated recently. 

In December, NYPD was hoping to hire around 1,000 new cops. However, only 675 were sworn in. Due to the low numbers of individuals enrolling in the academy, the current police officer exam is free.