Mayor Michael Bloomberg guarantees New York City will not lay off police officers in the next fiscal year.
Bloomberg said on his radio show Friday that the only thing he can promise about the next budget is that officers will be spared from layoffs.
The city is waiting for the state to pass a budget to know how much aid it will get. Agency heads have all been asked to shrink their budgets in preparation for big cuts.
The governor's original plan called for cuts of more than $1 billion to New York City.
Bloomberg had initially said thousands of police officers might have to be laid off. Now he says that won't happen.
He said the No. 1 priority is to keep the streets safe.
However, Patrolmen's Beneveloent Association President Patrick Lynch said the Mayor's promise is still not enough to keep the city safe.
"The city is already down 6,000 police officers from its peak years and there's talk that we'll be losing at least 2,000 more," he said in a statement released Friday.
"The state budget shouldn¹t shortchange the city. To keep that economic engine running, we need more police officers not fewer."
City Council Member Peter F. Vallone, Jr., was also critical of the Mayor's pledge to not fire cops--saying that by not replacing those being lost to attrition, he is putting New York City residents in danger.
"He won’t fire cops, but he won’t replace the members we are losing to attrition either," he said in a statement. "And that’s just as bad."
