Over Half of NYPD Officers Wish They Never Joined the Blue Due to 'Far-Left Politics' - Report

Officers complain their daily work has been disrupted by Black Lives Matter riots, the Defund the Police movement, bail-reform laws that keep violent offenders out of jail, and legislative measures that put the burden of liability on officers while emboldening criminals.

More than half of New York Police Department cops wish they had never joined the force in the first place given current the situation between the force and the public, the New York Post has reported, citing an internal department study of 6,000 uniformed officers.

According to the leaked survey, 56% of officers say they would not put on the badge if they had to do it all over again, and they also believe the public disrespects and distrusts them (46% agree, 42% disagree).

Moreover, 80% of the officers, detectives, sergeants, lieutenants, and captains polled said they are afraid of criminal liability, being sued, or being wrongfully reprimanded if they go after criminals aggressively.

"My retirement date is next month", a 20-year police veteran is quoted in the report as saying. "I can't wait to run out of here".

The officers interviewed by the outlet stated that the prestige of the service has "hit rock bottom".

The majority of those polled believe things will only get worse, with 79% of the 5,935 people who took the survey in March believing the city will not be safer in two years.

"The city is absolutely not safe at all. Bail reform. Criminals being released. Everyone knows what's going on", the police officer added.

The New York City Council authorised a variety of reforms for the NYPD in March, including ending cops' qualified immunity, which shielded them from civil claims. Some 73% of cops reportedly believe the public has a negative perception of the NYPD.

"There is no other profession that is scrutinised as much as we are", an NYPD sergeant and 16-year-veteran told the NY Post. "The far-left leaning politics are absolutely destroying the city of New York".

Moreover, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, Patrick Lynch, reportedly stated that the survey results "should surprise nobody".

"New York City police officers are well past our breaking point, and Mayor de Blasio and the outgoing City Council are still piling on with policies that punish cops and erode public safety", he said. "The intolerable environment and our substandard pay has every cop looking to get out as soon as they can. Our new leaders have a real mess to clean up. They need to start by supporting the beleaguered cops on the street".

The NYPD's top brass reportedly explained the reason behind the polling as "an effort to determine how we can improve as a department — both internally and in regard to policing New York City".

According to the report, in a study done by the city's police union in 2016, a strong majority of NYPD officers stated they loathed their jobs and believed they were safer before outgoing Mayor de Blasio took office.

And the new survey reportedly shows that 73% of respondents claim that "outstanding" cops do not "receive appropriate recognition". A staggering 78% of respondents claimed they do not feel supported by the NYPD.

Over the past couple of months, some NYPD cops have already reportedly left the force to move to cities that offer much more support for their police officers, according to the US media. In particular, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has welcomed at least a dozen NYPD cops to his state, providing them with $5,000 to relocate if they do not want to abide by New York State's restrictions and obligations imposed due to COVID-19.