JAMES VACCA

DEPUTY LEADER COUNCIL MEMBER, 13th DISTRICT DISTRICT OFFICE 3040 E. TREMONT AVENUE, RM. 104 BRONX, NY 10461 (718) 931-1721 FAX: (718) 931-1605 CITY HALL OFFICE 250 BROADWAY, ROOM 1749 NEW YORK, NY 10007 (212) 788-7375 FAX: (212) 442-2724

CHAIR TECHNOLOGY __________________ COMMITTEES HIGHER EDUCATION

THE COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK

JUVENILE JUSTICE PUBLIC SAFETY TRANSPORTATION

April 14, 2014

The Honorable Bill de Blasio Mayor of the City of New York City Hall New York, NY 10007 Dear Mayor de Blasio: New York City is currently experiencing a critical staffing shortage in the New York City Police Department due to attrition and budget cuts. The NYPD has 6,000 fewer police officers than it did in 2001, which amounts to about 60 to 75 officers a precinct. We must begin replenishing that loss as soon as possible. As you prepare the Executive Budget, I ask you to allocate funding to hire 1,000 new officers immediately, which would cost roughly $200 million. New York City is the safest big city in the country, but we have taken the crime reductions our city has experienced for granted for far too long. We can only maintain these gains and build on them with adequate police protection. As Commissioner William Bratton has repeatedly said, Police count. Cops matter. The taxpayers and law-abiding citizens of our city deserve nothing less than appropriate staffing levels to maintain safer streets and neighborhoods. I am concerned that the NYPDs current resources may become too stretched by the renewed emphasis on traffic safety and community policing and additional allocations to the terror and highway units. We cannot focus on all these different interests without robbing Peter to pay Paul. The police academys graduating classes barely keep up with attrition and retirements. We must be proactive and not be behind the eight ball when it comes to public safety. I ask you to fight for NYPD manpower enhancements by appropriating $200 million in the Executive Budget to hire 1,000 new officers. Sincerely,

James Vacca 13th District, Bronx