NYPD Retirements Reportedly Hit Historic High — And Union Says Zohran Mamdani Could Make It Worse

Police officers are leaving the NYPD in record numbers, and union officials are warning that the situation could worsen dramatically if Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani is elected mayor, according to a report from the New York Post.

As of this week, 1,555 NYPD officers have filed for retirement — a 48% increase from the 1,049 who left during the same period last year, and a 65% increase from a decade ago when just 941 cops turned in their badges. The data, provided to the Post by the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), suggests an unprecedented exodus is underway. (RELATED: Electing Zohran Mamdani NYC Mayor Would Spur Huge Cop Exodus, Rising Crime Straight Out Of ‘Gotham City,’ Cops Say)

We can’t afford to go backwards on the #NYPDStaffingCrisis. A mayor who demonizes police officers will only drive more away.

We’ve made progress in reducing the number of cops who quit before retirement, but there is much more work to do to make the NYPD competitive with other… pic.twitter.com/qWKmraLk3S

— NYC PBA (@NYCPBA) July 5, 2025

Union leaders told the Post they are not aware of any point in NYPD history when retirements in the first half of the year have reached this level. The surge, they believe, is being driven in large part by growing concerns that Mamdani’s platform and rhetoric would make policing in New York City even more untenable.

Mamdani has called the NYPD “wicked and corrupt” on X and has also called for the department to be dismantled.

All this misery. All for money.

In the last budget, the City Council tried to make the NYPD reduce its overtime budget by half. They simply refused.

There is no negotiating with an institution this wicked & corrupt.

Defund it. Dismantle it. End the cycle of violence. (10/10) pic.twitter.com/CKmSHvnH1m

— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) December 7, 2020

PBA President Patrick Hendry criticized the direction of the mayoral race, saying the city can’t afford to have a leader who ignores the staffing crisis or tries to take the NYPD backward.

Although the PBA has not officially endorsed a candidate in this year’s race, internal concerns over Mamdani’s history of anti-police comments are mounting. One Queens officer told the Post that he plans to retire after more than 20 years on the job, citing Mamdani’s primary win and long-standing hostility toward law enforcement as the reason.

“Him winning the primary definitely made me 100% sure that this is the right decision,” the cop, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly, told the Post.