NYC Mayor de Blasio plans $1.5 billion police budget cut

New York’s City Mayor Bill de Blasio announces his plan to deduct $1.5 billion from the NYPD budget. 

According to the Epoch Times, this cut is caused by a budget shortfall, but comes also amid cries to defund police. The economic shutdown is in response to the current epidemic that shut down the economy. However, the reduction is due to the anti-police protests that are currently taking place in many states. The proposal aims to appease the people who are actively protesting in New York. 

de Blasio introduced this at a time when the city is dealing with a spike in shootings. On the report of the NYPD statistics, within four weeks since the end of June 21, 191 people had been shot with 34 losing their lives. New York has not experienced this bad of a spree since 1996. 

The mayor stated that his office presented this plan to the City Council this weekend, an idea, “that would achieve a billion dollars in savings for the NYPD and shift resources to young people. To communities in a way that would help address a lot of underlying issues that we know are the cause of so many problems in our society.” 

In his June 19 briefing, the de Blasio said, “I am excited to say that we have a plan that can achieve real reform, that can achieve real redistribution, and at the same time, ensure that we keep our city safe.” The mayor stated that he aims to balance “reform, justice, redistribution, but always safety.” If it comes to fruition, this plan will shift over $500 million in NYPD capital and spend it for youth recreation centers and public housing. 

New York Daily News gave details about the $450 million budget. The plan will shift police officers in schools. From the NYPD, they’d be under the Department of Education. The $50 million cut will cancel the next two police academy classes. 

de Blasio refuses to explain the plan thoroughly as it is still under works. However, he did say that the school officers’ issue will be handled. 

NYPD’s main union, the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) are enraged by this plan. In a June 29 statement, PBA President Patrick Lynch claimed, “Mayor de Blasio’s message to New Yorkers today was clear: you will have fewer cops on your streets. Shootings more than doubled again last week. Even right now, the NYPD doesn’t have enough staffing to shift cops to one neighborhood less safe. We will say it again: the Mayor and the City Council have surrendered this city to lawlessness. Things won’t improve until New Yorkers hold them responsible.” 

The mayor and his office proposed a budget cut of $8 billion. As stated in the Epoch Times, it would be a total of about $87 billion for fiscal 2021.

de Blasio is under constant scrutiny from both sides of the political field.

Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kevdia/10632385465