Overview
- City Hall’s November financial plan funds the expansion, starting with $17.8 million in the first year and rising to roughly $316 million by fiscal 2029.
- The hiring schedule adds 300 officers in July 2026, 2,500 in July 2027, and reaches 5,000 additional officers by July 2028.
- The department reports elevated attrition of about 316 officers per month and a headcount around 33,700–33,800, below its authorized level and with roughly 1,300 vacancies.
- Earlier changes to boost recruiting lowered college-credit and age requirements, producing larger academy classes even as unions and experts warn retention and job conditions remain the critical challenges.
- The announcement lands days before the mayoral election; frontrunner Zohran Mamdani favors holding the force steady, Andrew Cuomo backs adding 5,000 officers, and Curtis Sliwa proposes 7,000.