re: Mamdani moves to cancel 5000 hires of NYPD officers

I asked Brave how many NY Policemen leave annually. Below explains the NYPD situation, wrt Brave AI anyway....kinda long, but interesting.

The number of New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers leaving annually has been consistently high in recent years, with over 2,500 officers departing in 2023 alone—making it the fourth-highest number in the past decade. This includes both retirees and those resigning before reaching the 20-year mark needed for full pensions.

In 2024, the attrition rate averaged 250 to 300 officers per month, totaling approximately 3,000 departures annually. By early 2025, the trend continued, with over 2,400 officers having left the force by mid-year, and the rate of departures nearly doubling compared to 2024.

Key factors driving the exodus include:

Excessive workload and mandatory overtime, with officers working 13–14 hours a day.
Lack of incentives to stay, especially as many officers are leaving before their 20-year mark despite losing full pension benefits.
Better opportunities elsewhere, such as higher long-term salaries and improved work-life balance in other departments (e.g., Suffolk County, Florida).
Declining morale due to anti-cop sentiment, bail reform, and rising crime.
Despite the NYPD hiring a record 4,000 officers in 2025, the department still faces a staffing gap, with attrition outpacing recruitment in many months. As of early 2026, the NYPD’s headcount stands at approximately 34,500 officers, down from over 40,000 in 2000.