Police Officers Leave NYPD as Anti-Police Sentiment Shatters Morale
More than 5,300 New York police officers resigned or retired last year a sharp increase of 75 percent over the previous year as morale fell following widespread unrest and calls to defund the police in response to the police-involved death of George Floyd in May 2020. Resigning officers accounted for 15 percent of total officers leaving their posts.
According to the Law Officer website, between May 25 and June 24, 2020, 272 police officers resigned from the New York Police Department (NYPD).
On March 25, the New York City Council voted to pass various police reform bills to abolish the qualified immunity provision for police, opening the way for citizens to sue police over claims of excessive use of force and unreasonable searches and seizures.