The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is facing a critical challenge as it struggles to retain its sergeants, with many opting to leave the force or retire early due to a pay system that has stripped the rank of its financial allure. For years, becoming a sergeant was not only a badge of honor but also a step up the career ladder that came with higher pay and greater responsibility. However, under the city’s current compensation structure, experienced patrol officers often earn more than newly promoted sergeants, creating a situation where taking on the added responsibilities of a sergeant can result in a significant pay cut.
Vincent Vallelong, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA), has sounded the alarm, pointing out that sergeants who take on more responsibility are often compensated less than their subordinates. Vallelong explained that a sergeant’s starting salary is $98,000, with a cap of $118,000 after about five years, while patrol officers can earn up to $115,000 upon reaching the top of their pay scale. This disparity means that hundreds of sergeants are earning less than thousands of rank-and-file officers. “You’re taking a rank with more responsibility, you took the test, three tests, and at the end of the day, you’re losing money,” Vallelong said. Over the course of a career, he estimates that a sergeant could lose between $80,000 and $100,000 in earnings due to this pay imbalance.
The SBA has proposed a step program to incrementally increase sergeants’ pay, but the city has yet to address the issue. If sergeants are promoted to top pay to ensure they earn more than their subordinates, Vallelong warns that city taxpayers could be on the hook for an estimated $170 million. “It doesn’t seem like anyone’s priorities are in the right place,” Vallelong said, comparing the situation to the 1990s when the NYPD played a key role in turning the city around and reducing crime. He criticized the city’s spending priorities, pointing to a $220 million deal with the Roosevelt Hotel to house illegal immigrants, while the NYPD’s compensation issues remain unresolved. “They’re bleeding money in all the wrong places,” Vallelong said. “Somebody in city governance either needs to go, or they really need to sit down and think this through and go back to basics.”
The NYPD currently has about 4,300 sergeants, roughly 200 short of its target. The situation is expected to worsen, with more than 70 sergeants leaving the department in January 2025 and 1,100 eligible to retire by June. Many sergeants have chosen to promote to lieutenant, further depleting the ranks. To make ends meet in New York City’s high-cost environment, an estimated 1,200 active-duty sergeants are working second jobs. The SBA has been in mediation with the city, but progress has been slow. A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams said the city is “committed to coming to a fair solution that will continue to protect public safety,” but Vallelong said the city has ignored proposals from the SBA.
Sergeants are also being stretched thin by additional responsibilities due to understaffing. They have been tasked with monitoring low-level nonemergency calls, vehicle pursuits outside their units, and reviewing hours of bodycam video monthly. These duties take them away from patrol work, further straining the department. With top-pay officers having little incentive to take promotion exams, officials fear the ranks of sergeants will continue to dwindle. Vallelong expressed frustration that Mayor Adams, a former NYPD captain and sergeant himself, has not taken a more proactive approach to addressing the issue. “He had to be a sergeant to get to where he’s at,” Vallelong said. “You would think he would understand this more than anybody else.”
The NYPD’s struggles with retention and recruitment are part of a broader national trend, with departments across the country facing challenges in keeping experienced officers. Smaller departments in areas with lower costs of living are increasingly attractive to NYPD members, who are drawn by better pay and less stressful conditions. As a result, the NYPD is not only losing experienced sergeants but also facing a heavier workload for those who remain. Vallelong called on Mayor Adams to take a different approach, suggesting he seek federal assistance, similar to what was done during the Clinton era, to support law enforcement and make the job more attractive. “Maybe he should ask the president to step in,” Vallelong said.
In response to the migrant crisis, the city has spent over $7 billion, with only $237 million allocated for housing and future services under the previous administration. A City Hall spokesperson said the city will continue to seek reimbursement from federal officials, but the focus on migrant housing has diverted attention from pressing issues like police compensation. As the NYPD continues to grapple with staffing shortages and pay disparities, the city’s ability to ensure public safety hangs in the balance. With no immediate solution in sight, the department is at risk of losing even more experienced sergeants, further exacerbating the crisis.
