With the economic downturn and the city tightening its belt, any money from federal sources would be a help. But now sources say the NYPD is not going to gets its cut of the federal money because its crime rate is relatively low! The Daily News reports, "Officials said the Justice Department decided the most worthy cities were those with serious budgetary problems and relatively high crime rates.
New York - which had applied for upward of 800 cops under the program but had expected to receive money for about 200 - has neither, so it's being passed over."
The Post has some stats about NYC's dropping crime—and some pointed quotes: Mayor Bloomberg said, "To punish our Police Department because they have driven down crime with fewer resources shows the backwards incentive system that is sometimes at work in Washington." And Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said, "After two successful terrorist attacks at the heart of the nation's financial center, there should be substantial and continuing federal support for the NYPD in its counterterrorism and conventional crime-fighting missions. We shouldn't be penalized for succeeding on both counts, and mainly on our own dime, over the last 7½ years."
The federal Community Oriented Policing Services, aka COPS, pays for police officers' salaries and benefits for three years; cities that are reportedly getting funding include Philadelphia, Kalamazoo, MI, and Rochester, NY, while Houston, Seattle and Pittsburgh are among the other cities that won't. Rep. Anthony Weiner told the News, "It is disturbing that the largest city in the country will not get this vital funding to keep our crime levels down," while Rep. Peter King said, "It is disgraceful for New York City to be shut out just because the NYPD is doing such a great job under trying circumstances and Mayor (Mike) Bloomberg is doing such a wonderful job of managing the city's finances," pointing out NYC is a "No. 1 terrorist target."
