New York Police Budget Expected to Cut by 15%... "Break with Failed Past Policing Policies"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The budget for the New York Police Department (NYPD), the largest police organization in the United States, is expected to be significantly reduced. The New York City Mayor and City Council have announced plans to drastically cut next year's NYPD budget and redirect funds toward youth services and social welfare. Some attribute the budget shortfall to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to foreign media such as CNN, on the 13th (local time), the leadership of the New York City Council issued a joint statement supporting a plan to cut the NYPD budget by $1 billion (approximately 1.2 trillion KRW) for the next fiscal year. If the $1 billion cut is implemented, the NYPD budget will decrease from the current $7 billion to $6 billion, a reduction of about 15%. As a result of the budget cut, NYPD personnel will decrease from 36,000 to 33,000, and overtime work is expected to be significantly restricted.

The police budget cuts stem from the nationwide movement for police reform in the U.S., sparked by the death of Black man George Floyd due to excessive force by white police officers. The phrase "Defund the police" has emerged as another slogan in protests against racial discrimination. The New York City Council stated in their announcement, "This unprecedented reduction restricts the activities of the New York Police and demonstrates our commitment to break away from failed past law enforcement policies."

Earlier, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio promised to cut the police budget and redirect some of the funds to youth services and social welfare. While this is fundamentally a measure aligned with police reform efforts, CNN reported that it is also related to the tight overall budget situation in New York City caused by the COVID-19 crisis. The New York City Council and Mayor plan to finalize the budget by the 30th of this month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.