Law Enforcement Community

Part six of a series of “special messages” on my plans as Mayor.

“Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

— Matthew 5:9

Our NYC police officers deserve better from us, period. Every day—and in every main street, side street, backyard, schoolyard and courtyard of this City—the brave men and women of our police forces keep us safe (and, remember we have peace officers beyond NYPD, including MTA, Amtrak, and Port Authority). We need them more than ever.

We can never vilify the entire NYPD community because of transgressions of a few. It is these sorts of sloppy generalizations that form the basis of all forms of prejudice. Unfortunately, prejudice against our brave police forces is rampant.

When I am Mayor, I will support our brave men and women of the NYPD, as well as our entire law enforcement community, of which I am a veteran. I will handle individual acts of excessive force on a case-by-case basis. And, we will fully investigate allegations of excessive force and police misbehavior, and where officers are shown to have violated the law and our public trust, they will be held accountable. But, to be clear, we will not rush to judgment before the facts are known. Our law enforcement community is critically important since so many lives depend on them. In that spirit, today’s policy commitment has two parts:

First, the appointment of NYPD Commissioner is a serious and consequential act, not an opportunity to score political points. The process and criteria used by other administrations to choose has been opaque, to say the least. I will change that. Although I surely could pick a qualified and independent candidate, the next NYPD Commissioner will be selected by a Blue Ribbon Panel in my Policy Council—all with serious policing and law enforcement chops of their own. That Panel will be co-Chaired by former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance and former Deputy Commissioner Robert Ganley. After collaboration with other Panel members, the Panel will give me three candidates. I will choose from among them.

If this process were the accepted rule for picking Commissioners—as it should be—the citizens of New York might have greater faith in the NYPD Commissioners from the start.

Second, it is my firm intention to increase base salaries for our police. Although New York City provides good benefits for the NYPD, salaries are not competitive. And, considering our affordability crisis, they do not take home enough each pay period. It’s that simple. As a result, many officers have moved to other cities. That situation is likely to get worse, not better. A recent survey from CUNY’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice revealed something shocking, but hardly surprising: 25% of police officers are actively looking to leave NYPD. And why wouldn’t they? Over the years, salaries have stagnated. Add to that the marked increase in danger: attacks against the police have soared, surging 41% this year alone. Put these two factors together, we are effectively chasing good cops away from New York City.

Obviously, I will need to carefully study options and approaches to mitigate the budget impact. But I will find a way to get it done. It is the right thing to do.

This is my promise. You have it in writing. Hold me accountable.

Jim Walden,

Candidate for Mayor