NYPD is Facing Staffing Crisis as NYC Refuses to Hire More Officers

0:01 Speaker 1 Are you okay.

0:02 Speaker 2 I’m just I’m just tired. I can’t sleep, all says any more money for lunch. My look has to change. Look whatever it is, I’m here, just look on for I’m in trouble. Read between the lines to spot the signs of gambling teenage gambling doubles the risk of problem gambling in adulthood. Get support at your AI dot. I

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0:29 Speaker 3 Of Ireland Sunday morning, fourth of July weekend, and which is with us today is Vincent Villa Long and he’s the president of the largest police union in New York City, the Sergeant Benevolent Association. And well, Vincent, Happy New Year and happy New Year. Well I see I’m losing it already.

0:51 Happy for the July.

0:53 Speaker 1 July to you too.

0:55 Speaker 3 Maybe I was wishing for New Year. Tell us you were very up, said all week that you were supposed to get some extra people. And it looks like the city council budget went through without it.

1:09 Speaker 1 Yeah, it’s it was. It’s an extreme disappointment. You know, you have a you have a speaker that basically is supposed to be a checks and balances for the mayor and it kind of just shows now that she’s proven, she’s kind of nothing more than a rubber stamp for his socialist agenda. You know, we’re supposed to get all

1:28 these cops and we’re already losing people left and right. I mean, just this month alone, we are down. We had eighty one people file for retirement and we only got thirty five new sergeants. And of those thirty five new sergeants, really we only got fifteen because twenty got promoted to lieutenant. So the numbers are dropping. Our men

1:47 and women are pretty much burning the candle on both ends. You know, twelve hour tours, some some going as much as sixteen to eighteen hours with overtime. You know, they’re they’re they’re exhausted, and we’re losing bodies again. You know, I don’t I don’t know what the thought is. Because five hundred and eighty five hundred and eighty police officers,

2:06 which is what it was they were supposed to put in, was the very least of the number that they that they projected. They should have a lot more. And you know, again this is another sign of defunding the police. There’s no other way around it. For a whole year you’re not going to hire any more police officers, You’re not

2:24 having a police a police academy class. We’re gonna it’s gonna take us years just to make those numbers up.

2:31 Speaker 3 I mean, are we on the road of destruction just by a matter of time?

2:41 Speaker 1 You know what, we’re looking probably back to the eighties again. You know when when you when you have people running along the streets doing.

2:48 Speaker 4 What they want, and I’m not even talking about major crimes.

2:50 Speaker 1 You’re talking about your your middle of the road. Some of the crimes that nobody even classifies anymore, the ones that that a quality of life around your around your neighborhoods, that aren’t being enforced because whether the DA’s office or the city council has decided that they are no longer crimes.

3:08 That’s not something that the average citizen and the tax paying citizen of this city should ever have to worry about, especially you know, when they’re trying to raise their kids in these neighborhoods.

3:23 Speaker 3 It’s it’s horrible because you know, the one thing that I said is non negotiable all times, and I said that to the Governor’s office, I said that to the state Council, the State Assembly and the State Senate and the City Council. Is the quality of life in New York is non negotiable. That’s the number one item. What

3:44 else do you want to say? What else would you like to tell everybody on the fourth of July weekend?

3:52 Speaker 1 Well, listen, this is two hundred and fifty years. This is a great country, and they’re the most important thing about this country is our ability to vote. And many, many men and women died for that right. And it just seems as if you know, people have to wake up.

4:10 You need to educate yourself again. You can’t just let these politicians come in and change our way of life voting. When you go out to vote, there’s a consequence to it. If you don’t go out to vote, it’s even worse because you get something.

4:23 Speaker 4 That you never you never intended or never wanted.

4:27 Speaker 3 Understood well, Vincent batt Alone, President of the Sojeant’s Benevolent Association, I understand you guys had a big election and your entire you guys are doing such a great job. Your entire board got re elected.

4:43 Speaker 4 Yeah, we did, and you know, I got to say it’s extremely.

4:46 Speaker 1 Gratifying to have the support of the men and women you know that we represent. They’ve given us a mandate to continue to fight to improve the working conditions and delivering you know, their benefits which they deserve. And this kind of this also shows the lawmakers, you know, on every level that you know of government that is that

5:05 you know, we a united union is it’s a it’s a strong union, you know, and we’re not afraid to take on any of the challenges to come our way, you know. And with that, you know, it’s it’s a it’s an honor to represent this rank and the men and women in this rank and the board. I could

5:20 tell you that my board has done nothing but crushed it for the past four years. We’ve had some some lows where you know, we’ve we thought, you know, we weren’t going to get a contract. We’ve we we held, we held tight. They were tireless in their efforts the last few years. And you know, their their help pretty much,

5:38 you know, with their help, you know, they they delivered a strong contract. You know, we fixed this, We fixed the wage disparity. We we’re working on legislation to correct uh you know pensions. Uh, it’s it’s they just did a fantastic job. And I tip my hat to you know, I wouldn’t be here for another four more years if

5:55 it wasn’t for the board, and it wasn’t for the for the delicate body on what it is we do day in and day out.

6:00 Speaker 3 Well, WABC stands for common sense, stands by your side, and you know my philosophy. W ABC, we don’t care if you’re a Democrat or Republican or independent. As long as you stand for common sense. I agree. Thank you so much for coming on this Sunday and happy fourth of July weekend and well you hope it’s a good time to be with the family.

6:23 Speaker 1 Same here