New York police officers will face overtime cuts in an effort to stem the city’s migrant crisis, as money to keep police on the job will now go toward funding shelters.
More than 110,000 migrants are scattered across the New York region, and Mayor Eric Adams’ office estimates the issue will cost New York City $12 billion over three years.
Jacques Jiha, the city’s budget director, has ordered not only the police department, but also the fire, sanitation and corrections departments to drastically reduce overtime.
“The Mayor will … issue a directive to implement an overtime reduction initiative for our city’s four uniformed agencies (NYPD, FDNY, DOC/DSNY),” he said in a memo Saturday.
“These agencies must submit a plan to reduce OT expenditures from year to year,” he added, saying they must send monthly reports to City Hall to monitor their progress toward the city’s goal for the reduction of overtime to follow.
New York’s police officers will face overtime cuts in a bid to stem the city’s migrant crisis, as money to keep cops on the job will now go towards funding shelters
More than 110,000 migrants are scattered across the New York region, and Mayor Eric Adams’ office estimates the issue will cost New York City $12 billion over three years.
No layoffs are being proposed as part of efforts to keep budgets under control, according to the city New York Post. However, there will be a hiring freeze, except for departments such as public health and safety.
It comes days after Mayor Adams delivered a widely publicized tirade addressing the migrant crisis crippling the Big Apple – which he warned will “destroy” the city without urgent action.
Speaking to angry residents at a town hall meeting on Wednesday, he admitted he sees no solution to the problem while condemning Joe Biden’s lack of help.
“Let me tell you something, New Yorkers. Never in my life have I had a problem that I didn’t see an end to. I don’t see an end to this,” he admitted. “This issue will destroy New York City. Destroy the city of New York.”
But the migrant services are also apparently on the chopping block, as Jiha writes in the memo.
“We are also reducing the services provided to asylum seekers and are closely monitoring these services to ensure they are delivered in a cost-efficient and cost-effective manner,” he said.
The city will also attempt to limit travel between the city and the state capital, Albany, and the nation’s capital, Washington.
He blamed both the state and federal governments for “grossly inadequate” funding to help combat the crisis.
Migrant services are also apparently on the chopping block, as Jiha wrote in the memo
Patrick Hendry, head of the city’s largest police union, the Police Benevolent Association, said this is no time for cuts
Jacques Jiha, the city’s budget director, has notified not only the police, but also the fire, sanitation and corrections departments to drastically reduce overtime
It comes days after Mayor Adams delivered a widely publicized tirade addressing the migrant crisis crippling the Big Apple – which he warned will “destroy” the city without urgent action.
“The city is experiencing a humanitarian crisis that we did not create,” Jiha wrote.
Patrick Hendry, head of the city’s largest police union, the Police Benevolent Association, said this is no time for cuts.
“It will be impossible for the NYPD to significantly reduce overtime unless the staffing crisis is resolved,” Hendry said. “We are still short thousands of police officers and we are struggling to reduce crime to pre-2020 levels without adequate staffing.
Despite Mayor Adams’ cries for help from the state and federal governments, the city has not received any assistance to cover the additional costs, so the $4.7 billion would come from the city’s budget.
That amount is equal to the budgets for municipal sanitary facilities, fire brigade and parks combined.
There are now nearly 60,000 migrants in the city’s care, and about 21,000 new migrant children will attend school this year.
When the school year started on Thursday, some schools had to turn away students because classrooms were overcrowded.
City officials have said they expect the number of asylum seekers to reach nearly 33,980 households this fiscal year.
Migrants sleep outside the Roosevelt Hotel in downtown Manhattan
New York City’s migrant crisis is expected to cost the city $4.7 billion this year. Above is a list of some of the landmarks that have been converted into emergency shelters as officials struggle to house nearly 60,000 migrants in the city’s care
There are now nearly 60,000 migrants in the city’s care, and about 21,000 new migrant children will attend school this year. Ecuadorian migrant Kimberly Carchipulla (right) and her son, 5-year-old Damien, center, wait for the bus on their way to school in New York on Thursday
When the school year started Thursday, some schools were focused on turning away students because classrooms were overcrowded
The city currently pays about $385 per night per migrant family in need of housing and food. According to Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, asylum seekers cost the city about $10 million every day.
An exasperated Adams did not mince his words Wednesday when he said the city’s survival depends on outside help to deal with the crisis. end of next year.
“It started with some crazy person in Texas who decided he wanted to bus people into New York City,” he said, referring to the way Texas Governor Gregg Abbot bused migrants into the city.
Adams continued, “110,000 migrants we must feed, clothe, house… we must raise their children, wash their laundry… give them everything they need.”
Indeed, many of the migrants have entered from southern states such as Texas and Florida, while the conservative governors of these states want to put some of the migration pressure on progressive administrations and President Biden in Washington.
They are not undocumented, but they do not have work permits because they have to wait months to get them after applying for asylum.
Experts say this is one of the main problems because the migrants cannot work and become independent enough to find their own housing.