Law enforcement veteran Michael Letts believes the city needs to take care of its police force – while there’s still one around.

While Mayor Eric Adams insists that “safe streets” and “public safety is a prerequisite to our prosperity” (based on comments he made previously in the weekend), someone apparently didn’t tell the New York Police Department.

A report from the New York Post reveals that police officers are resigning at a record pace. The report notes that 239 officers left in the first couple of months of 2023 alone, up from the 176 that had resigned in that period the year before. This follows the 3,700 police officers that “retired” in the previous year.

The report indicates that many have left for smaller provinces, mainly due to low pay (affected by “defund the police”) and lack of support from Adams and his administration.

“Specifically, the laws written by Albany the New York City Council have made policing very difficult in New York City,” said Joseph Giacalone, retired NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “And that’s what I think a lot of cops are just throwing their hands up and saying I can’t do this job anymore.” 

A resident also spoke with the network, stating, “A lot of people don’t respect them. And I think police officers and firemen have to be respected and cherished a lot because without them, I don’t know where the city would be.”

This also comes on the heels of the decision back in 2020 to fire 2,000 public New York workers (including police officers) over not taking the “mandated” vaccine for COVID-19 at the time. Despite everything that’s happened, they have not been asked to return to their jobs.

With us now to speak about this further is Michael Letts, a law enforcement veteran with over 30 years of experience under his belt. Letts is president, founder and CEO for InVest USA, an organization that provides bulletproof vests to police officers through various charitable groups and sponsorships. His expertise will prove useful in this matter.

Q&A:

1. How much trouble would you say New York is in right now with the rate of officers resigning from the NYPD? 
2. Do you think the blame lies with Mayor Adams and his administration failing to properly take care of said officers? Or with the previous mayor? Perhaps both?
3. Why do you think the city hasn’t acted on hiring back the 2,000+ employees that were fired in 2020 because they simply didn’t want to take the vaccine? Shouldn’t they have gotten their jobs back by now?
4. What’s going to happen if Mayor Adams and his team don’t work quickly to replenish these officer numbers? Do you see the city possibly falling further into crime without enough officers to patrol the streets?
5. Would this be a significant reason for Congress and the Senate to finally take a closer look at the “fund the police” bill so they can decrease the criminal activity that’s overtaking a number of these major cities?
6. What do you think Adams is going to do about this matter? Or will he do anything?
7. You’re the creator of InVest USA, an organization that provides bulletproof vests to police officers through various charitable groups and sponsorships. Tell us more about that, and why support for fellow officers is so important right now.
8. Where can we learn more about InVest USA, and how those interested can help their fellow officers.

You can visit our official InVest USA website, and learn more on the official Invest USA Twitter account.

About Michael Letts:

Michael Letts is the Founder, President, and CEO of InVest USA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs. He also has over 30 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, hence his pro-police stance for his brothers and sisters in blue. Those interested in learning more about Letts can visit his official website here.