New York City won’t freeze hiring of police officers or lay off disabled firefighters this fiscal year after all, Mayor Adams announced Wednesday, saying he’s able to call off the planned NYPD and FDNY cuts thanks to “better than anticipated” tax revenues and a reduction in projected migrant crisis spending.
Speaking at an afternoon press conference at City Hall, Adams said he’s allowing the NYPD to proceed with its April class and the FDNY to keep all its staff employed. Thanks to the reinstatement of the Police Academy class, 600 recruits will be added to the NYPD’s headcount come April.
“We need every officer we can get, which is why today is a great day for the NYPD,” said Police Commissioner Edward Caban, who joined Adams for the announcement.
Adams, however, wouldn’t say whether any other agencies will be spared from deep budget cuts he announced in November, though. He said Jacques Jiha, his budget director, will do a “deep dive” on that this coming Tuesday when his administration plans to roll out its preliminary financial plan for the next fiscal year.
“He lives for this time of the year, so I don’t want to take away his thunder,” Adams said. “He’s going to go deep into all of that.”
Under the cuts unveiled in November — which targeted all city agencies — the NYPD had to cancel a Police Academy class set to start in April, while the FDNY was ordered to eliminate the so-called “fifth firefighter” position at 20 engine companies and lay off off 190 firefighters on long-term disability if they didn’t voluntarily retire.
While he wouldn’t say whether any other agencies are going to get relief from the belt-tightening, Adams, a retired NYPD captain who was elected in 2021 on a tough-on-crime platform, told reporters he recently directed Jiha to make it his top priority to find a way to reinstate the Police Academy class.
“At the heart of what’s important to me is that this city is safe, and I said to Jacques, I need to find a way to get those classes,” the mayor said. “We cannot go backwards, and that is why I focus so hard on anything that’s going to erode our ability to keep this city safe.”
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