New York City will take $1 billion from police budget, but many say it doesn't go far enough

As calls to defund the police grow louder around the country, New York City officials agreed on a budget that shifts roughly $1 billion from the police department, but advocates and lawmakers say the change doesn't go far enough.

The city council said in a statement Tuesday that the city's 2021 budget, totaling more than $88 billion, "reduces police spending and shrinks NYPD's footprint." The cuts came as the city is grappling with losing $9 billion in revenue amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The budget cuts nearly $484 million from the NYPD's annual $6 billion budget and shifts funding to other agencies as well as youth and social services programming. 

The changes will cancel a nearly 1,200-person police recruiting class set for next month (though another class in October is scheduled to go forward), curtail overtime spending and shift school safety, crossing guards and homeless outreach away from the NYPD.

“That work is not over, and while we have made progress, we are also vowing to keep fighting for fundamental changes to how we approach safety in schools, mental health and homelessness," said council Speaker Corey Johnson. "Over the coming weeks, the council will be working on hearings and legislation to make sure that these changes are real."

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A statement from Mayor Bill de Blasio's office said $430 million will be reinvested from the NYPD's expense budget into youth and social services programming.

"This budget prioritizes our communities most in need while keeping New Yorkers safe," de Blasio said. "As we emerge from the epicenter of COVID-19, it's now more important than ever to create a fairer city for all."

The budget changes come as hundreds of protesters who have camped in front of City Hall for more than a week demanded that the police department be defunded. Organizers have called the movement “Occupy City Hall," a reference to the 2011 Occupy Wall Street movement that took place just a few blocks away.

Many people, including the New York Civil Liberties Union, have criticized the proposed budget. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said in a statement that he plans to use his authority to prevent the budget from being executed, calling for a full NYPD hiring freeze and a commitment to transitioning from the current model for school safety.

“In a moment when New Yorkers, with the entire nation, are demanding a reimagining of public safety, a reckoning with systemic injustices and inequities, the city falls far short with a budget that misses the moment of need," he said in a statement.

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A representative for de Blasio told multiple media outlets that Williams can't stall the budget. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., echoed the criticism Tuesday, saying the cuts don't go far enough.

“Defunding police means defunding police," the congresswoman said in a statement. "It does not mean budget tricks or funny math. It does not mean moving school police officers from the NYPD budget to the Department of Education’s budget so the exact same police remain in schools."

The New York Times reported that the Department of Education already funds the school safety program, sending about $300 million a year to police, citing New York City’s Independent Budget Office. De Blasio said details were being worked out and the Education Department would train the agents.

Patrick Lynch, head of the Police Benevolent Association union, said the proposed cuts will lead to fewer officers on the streets amid a spike in shootings that has lasted several weeks.

“We will say it again: the Mayor and the City Council have surrendered the city to lawlessness," Lynch said in a release. "Things won’t improve until New Yorkers hold them responsible."

The council will proceed with hearings and legislation in July "to ensure a just transition away from law enforcement in schools, homelessness and mental health," according to a statement.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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