PBA reacts to Seattle recruiting effort

PBA president Patrick J. Lynch said: 

“Significantly higher top pay offered by the Seattle Police Department is very likely to attract fully trained and experienced members of the NYPD.  But our veteran officers don’t have to travel across country for higher top pay because virtually every other police department in the metropolitan area offers a top pay of $20,000 to $40,000 more than the NYPD.  That’s why we’ve seen record numbers – nearly 1,000 a year -- of fully trained and experienced police officers quit the NYPD.  Can anyone blame them for leaving?

“ When a single police officer leaves, NYC spends over $100,000 to recruit, test, train and investigate his or her replacement.  New York would be far better off using that money to increase police pay in order to keep experienced officers on our own streets.  If NYC is going to maintain a strong and effective police force, it will have to pay its police officers a top rate that is competitive with other law enforcement jobs.”