America’s greatest cities were once shining examples of law and order. Clean streets. Safe neighborhoods. Families strolling without fear. Those glory days seem increasingly distant in today’s urban landscape.

The transformation of New York City in the 1990s showed the world how proper leadership could turn a struggling metropolis into a global success story. One simple formula: support law enforcement and maintain order.

Now, a disturbing revelation from America’s largest police force exposes the cost of abandoned principles.

NYPD sergeants are discovering they can make more money by refusing promotions. Meanwhile, the city diverts millions to house illegal migrants in luxury accommodations.

The Breaking Point

Vincent Vallelong, president of the NYPD’s Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA), shared the shocking numbers. Sergeants start at $98,000. They max out at $118,000 after five years. Their subordinates? They can earn up to $115,000.

From ‘Fox News’:

“We’re going to have guys potentially in the next year, year and a half that will be making upwards of anywhere between 9 to $15,000 less than a police officer,” said Vincent Vallelong, the president of the SBA. “So you’re going to take a rank with more responsibility, you took a test, three tests, and at the end of the day, you’re losing money.”

The mathematics of public safety doesn’t add up in progressive New York. More responsibility equals less compensation. Welcome to the new woke arithmetic.

Following the Money

While city leaders claim empty coffers for police compensation, they found $220 million for the Roosevelt Hotel.

The property, owned by Pakistan’s government, now houses illegal migrants instead of tourists. That’s enough money to properly compensate every NYPD sergeant with room to spare.

The real-world impact is staggering. Over 1,200 active-duty sergeants now work second jobs. These supervisors, responsible for coordinating emergency responses and managing crime scenes, are moonlighting just to afford life in the city they protect.

From Fox News:

“We have already spent over $7 billion on this crisis alone, and the previous administration committed only $237 million in funding to help house the migrants in our care and for future services,” a City Hall spokesperson told Fox News Monday.

A Growing Crisis

The exodus has begun. January 2025 saw more than 70 sergeants leave the department. Another 1,100 can retire by June. That’s nearly 25% of all NYPD sergeants ready to walk away.

Each departure increases response times. Every resignation means less experienced supervision on critical calls. When seconds matter, New York’s finest are stretched thinner by the day.

The ultimate irony? Mayor Eric Adams wore the sergeant’s stripes himself. “The mayor was a sergeant at one point in time,” Vallelong notes. “You would think that he would understand this more than anybody else.”

The solution isn’t complicated. It’s basic conservative principle: invest in public safety before political pet projects. Support law enforcement instead of subsidizing illegal immigration. Choose citizens over ideology.

New York’s 1990s renaissance proved that supporting law enforcement creates prosperity. Safe streets mean thriving businesses. Strong police departments build strong communities.

Perhaps it’s time for New York’s leaders to remember these lessons instead of writing new chapters in progressive failure.

Key Takeaways

• NYPD sergeants earn up to $15,000 less than the officers they supervise while NYC spends billions for illegal immigrants.
• Over 1,200 police sergeants are working second jobs to make ends meet in Democratic-run New York.
• The department lost 70+ sergeants in January 2025 alone, with 1,100 more eligible to retire by June.
• Mayor Adams, a former NYPD captain, has failed to address the growing crisis despite his law enforcement background.

Source: Fox News