Statement by PBA President Patrick J. Lynch on Cutting Number of Police Officers

Cutting the number of police officers serving and protecting the city in these crucial times is a dangerous game. It would put at risk the historic crime reductions and quality-of-life improvements our officers have achieved over the past several years. It also would threaten the success of the domestic war against terrorism. In the long run, it is not a cost-effective strategy. How are you going to convince big business and tourists that you're serious about protecting against terrorism when you're reducing the number of police officers through attrition? We should be working on solving the recruitment and retention crisis, not on reducing police resources.