Statement of PBA President Patrick J. Lynch on the Mayor's Preliminary Budget

PBA president Patrick J. Lynch said:

“The Mayor's budget clearly demonstrates where police officers and public safety rank in his priorities. Apparently, the City can afford $2.6 billion in additional spending for everything under the sun, but not a penny more to pay police officers at a market rate or provide an adequate disability benefit.  Instead, there are a few crumbs to meet the bare minimum of the NYPD's operational needs. Naturally, the Mayor and his team will enthusiastically pat themselves on the back for any token they include in the budget, while taking credit for police officers' achievements in containing crime, which have largely been achieved in spite of — not because of — his policies. The Mayor likes to talk about the ‘pride’ that police officers take in their work, as if we should be able to live on that pride alone. New York City police officers are not falling for the Mayor’s smoke-and-mirrors ‘support’ for policing and public safety, and our fellow New Yorkers shouldn’t fall for it, either.”