City Council Member Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest, Midwood) today led a large rally on the steps of City Hall with several hundred rank-and-file members of the New York City Police Department to call on Mayor de Blasio to pay cops a fair market wage.
Deutsch with the help of City Council Member Donovan Richards (D-Queens) , who chair’s the council’s Public Safety Committee, also presented a letter with the signature of 37 council members – a super-majority two-thirds of the council in support of a fair contract with the city police.
Currently, the NYPD, ranks dead last in police pay as compared to police pay in Long Island, Westchester, State Troopers, Yonkers and the MTA.
The letter reads in part: “New York City police officers are being severely underpaid, making it difficult for them to support their families and make ends meet. It is disgraceful that the men and women who protect one of the richest cities in America struggle to be able to feed their families and pay for basic needs.
“Moreover, this deficiency is detrimental to our shared goal of ensuring safety and justice for every New Yorker. We expect a great deal from our police officers, and it is imperative that the NYPD be able to recruit and retain the finest in order to meet those expectations. In 2017, the number of police officers resigning before retirement reached a six-year high, with many of the departing officers leaving for better-paying police jobs in the NYC area. “
Among the lawmakers joining in and supporting the NYPD included Mathieu Eugene, Justin Brannan and Robert Cornegy from Brooklyn, Paul Vallone and Barry Grodenchik from Queens; and Mark Gjonaj and Andrew Cohen from the Bronx.
After the rally, Deutsch hand-delivered the letter to a top deputy at Mayor de Blasio’s office.
“The support that we had for this letter is unparalleled, and it sends a strong message to the Mayor that our side of City Hall supports the police. We are committed to fighting for the police officers who protect and defend us every day on the streets of this city. I am hopeful that the Mayor will reach an amenable agreement with the PBA that will allow the best law enforcement officers in the world to continue to serve our City,” he said.
Check out the video of the event:
