Data: Rate of cops leaving NYPD so far outpacing 2024
The number of NYPD officers leaving the force continues to climb, according to data analyzed by Newsday. Credit: Corey Sipkin
NYPD officers continued to leave the department in the first three months of 2025 at a pace nearly twice that of 2024, a clear indication the agency still faces headwinds trying to beef up its headcount, according to statistics obtained by Newsday.
The number of officers retiring since Jan. 1 rose from 382 in 2024 to 875 through March 31 this year, an increase of about 129%, according to figures provided by the NYPD. Officers who resigned before their official retirement dates increased 7%, from 168 to 178, the data showed.
Combined figures for normal retirements and resignations totaled 1,053 so far this year, up 91% from 2024.
The current NYPD headcount hovers around 34,000, down sharply from 37,000 in 2018, officials note. More than 5,000 officers are expected to be eligible to retire by later this year, law enforcement sources said.
Police Benevolent Association figures, derived from police pension fund filings, showed comparable increases in the retirement and resignations.
On one day last month, PBA officials said, a total of 24 officers quit to join the police force of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a state agency where pay and benefits, including pensions, are viewed by union officials as better than those of the NYPD.
"New York City police officers know they can find better benefits and a better quality of life just by changing the patch on their shoulders," said PBA president Patrick Hendry in a statement to Newsday. "Police agencies across New York State know they can find as many highly skilled, highly trained applicants as they need by recruiting directly from the ranks of the NYPD."
In a statement, the MTA said a total of 30 NYPD officers since Jan. 1 have been on their way to joining its 1,300-member force.
"It is no secret that we are facing a staffing crisis across the NYPD and hiring and recruitment efforts remain a priority," the NYPD acknowledged in a statement.
To attract candidates, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch recently lowered the college credit requirements for potential recruits and reinstituted the timed run physical fitness requirement to graduate from the academy.
Since Tisch took over the top NYPD job last December, crime has continued to drop citywide by over 11%, something she is expected to highlight at a news conference Thursday.
But the increased workload and disruption of personal lives has prompted some to leave for other departments, law enforcement experts said. In February, Newsday reported the Suffolk County Police Department had hired 137 NYPD officers in the last two years. Nassau County police said 74 NYPD officers were hired in the same period.
Pension reform is one element the PBA is pushing in Albany. NYPD officers hired after 2009 — an estimated 70% of the force — have to stay at least 22 years to get a full pension, while other police agencies in the state require 20 years, according to the PBA. Lowering the requirement to 20 years is viewed as an incentive to get officers to stay longer with the NYPD.
Joseph Giacalone, an adjunct professor on law enforcement at Pennsylvania State University-Lehigh Valley, believed officers are reading the current city political environment and opting to leave no matter how much pay improves.
"There is really no reason to stay around," said Giacalone.
Tisch has said she intends to hire as many new officers to get the force above 35,000. A department spokesman said they hope to bring in a new academy class of about 1,000 this month. But no new class has been announced.
The problem is that while the NYPD hires new officers, on average 200 to 300 leave each month, data showed.
NYPD officers continued to leave the department in the first three months of 2025 at a pace nearly twice that of 2024, a clear indication the agency still faces headwinds trying to beef up its headcount, according to statistics obtained by Newsday.
The number of officers retiring since Jan. 1 rose from 382 in 2024 to 875 through March 31 this year, an increase of about 129%, according to figures provided by the NYPD. Officers who resigned before their official retirement dates increased 7%, from 168 to 178, the data showed.
Combined figures for normal retirements and resignations totaled 1,053 so far this year, up 91% from 2024.
The current NYPD headcount hovers around 34,000, down sharply from 37,000 in 2018, officials note. More than 5,000 officers are expected to be eligible to retire by later this year, law enforcement sources said.
Police Benevolent Association figures, derived from police pension fund filings, showed comparable increases in the retirement and resignations.
On one day last month, PBA officials said, a total of 24 officers quit to join the police force of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a state agency where pay and benefits, including pensions, are viewed by union officials as better than those of the NYPD.
"New York City police officers know they can find better benefits and a better quality of life just by changing the patch on their shoulders," said PBA president Patrick Hendry in a statement to Newsday. "Police agencies across New York State know they can find as many highly skilled, highly trained applicants as they need by recruiting directly from the ranks of the NYPD."
In a statement, the MTA said a total of 30 NYPD officers since Jan. 1 have been on their way to joining its 1,300-member force.
"It is no secret that we are facing a staffing crisis across the NYPD and hiring and recruitment efforts remain a priority," the NYPD acknowledged in a statement.
To attract candidates, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch recently lowered the college credit requirements for potential recruits and reinstituted the timed run physical fitness requirement to graduate from the academy.
Since Tisch took over the top NYPD job last December, crime has continued to drop citywide by over 11%, something she is expected to highlight at a news conference Thursday.
But the increased workload and disruption of personal lives has prompted some to leave for other departments, law enforcement experts said. In February, Newsday reported the Suffolk County Police Department had hired 137 NYPD officers in the last two years. Nassau County police said 74 NYPD officers were hired in the same period.
Pension reform is one element the PBA is pushing in Albany. NYPD officers hired after 2009 — an estimated 70% of the force — have to stay at least 22 years to get a full pension, while other police agencies in the state require 20 years, according to the PBA. Lowering the requirement to 20 years is viewed as an incentive to get officers to stay longer with the NYPD.
Joseph Giacalone, an adjunct professor on law enforcement at Pennsylvania State University-Lehigh Valley, believed officers are reading the current city political environment and opting to leave no matter how much pay improves.
"There is really no reason to stay around," said Giacalone.
Tisch has said she intends to hire as many new officers to get the force above 35,000. A department spokesman said they hope to bring in a new academy class of about 1,000 this month. But no new class has been announced.
The problem is that while the NYPD hires new officers, on average 200 to 300 leave each month, data showed.
Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.
Top Stories
Most Popular
