Budget cuts would be "devastating" to public safety in New York City, Police Benevolent Association president says
NEW YORK -- We're taking a deep dive into the city's budget cuts, including how it will affect New Yorkers.
CBS New York's Jennifer Bisram takes a look at public safety and what more cuts to the NYPD would mean.
"We need more officers in southeast Queens. We're very limited," said Toni Totten, vice president of the 113th Precinct Community Council.
Totten has lived in southeast Queens her whole life.
"When the community feels as if they don't have a voice, we're there to serve them," she said.
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She says neighborhoods she represents -- like Jamaica, St. Albans, Hollis, Springfield Gardens and South Ozone Park -- are in need of more cops.
"Violence has increased. It's on the rise," Totten said.
Police say major crimes in New York City are down, but recent crime stats show in southeast Queens, robbery, assault and housing crimes are up compared to this time last year.
"We are in a staffing crisis right now," said Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association. "Budget cuts would be devastating to public safety ... Without police officers on the street, we could be facing more crime on our streets."
Hendry tells CBS New York last year, 3,700 officers left the NYPD, and currently, according to the city's independent office, there are 33,541 officers for 8.1 million New Yorkers in the five boroughs. That's the lowest amount since 1990, when there were 32,451.
"Our officers in general are overworked, understaffed," Hendry said.
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According the city's management report, in 2019, the officer critical response time was six minutes and 38 seconds; today, it's up to nine minutes.
"When someone's calling for help, every second matters," Hendry said.
We're told the city's 5% budget cuts could result in canceling five upcoming police academy classes beginning January, which would result in an 18-month hiring freeze.
"What does that mean for you?" CBS New York's Jennifer Bisram asked one NYPD hopeful, who didn't want to be identified.
"It means getting stopped, slowed down from joining the NYPD," he said.
He says he passed all of the screenings to become an officer in New York City; he's just waiting to get into the academy, but now he's not sure when it will happen for him.
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"It's devastating, you know. I want to be out there. I want to help people. I want to make that difference. I've always been inspired to be a cop because of my dad, watching him put that uniform on every night," he said.
We reached out the NYPD for comment. As of this report, we have not heard back.