(LibertySociety.com) – Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is reportedly not happy that the officers at the NYPD will likely be receiving a raise after staying at the same rate of pay for the last 7 years. Mayor Eric Adams agreed to the raise after an agreement was forged between City Hall and the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), offering an increase in salary for all officers, including back pay for the last 6 years in which they went without a contract. As long as it’s approved by PBA’s union members, the raise will amount to a $13,000 increase in salary, with another 0.5% raise to come in 2024.
Ocasio-Cortez expressed her opposition to the raise in an interview with Jordan Klepper from The Daily Show, claiming that police officers are making more money than teachers with a master’s degree, and stating that they are often “serving these same kids involved in these same incidents.” However, according to The New York Post, the Department of Education for the city said that teachers with a master’s make between $68,000 and $83,900, exceeding the police officer pay by a wide margin, as new cops reportedly start at around $42,000 at this time.
The President of the PBA, Patrick Lynch, took a dig at AOC, blasting her for her Comedy Central interview, stating that “Public safety isn’t a punchline for a comedy show,” adding that community members are attending meetings to request more pay for officers as well as an increase in police presence. He called for elected members of government to listen to the people in the community instead of pushing an agenda like AOC and other lawmakers. He said that giving a raise to police officers will increase morale and the overall safety of communities.
Copyright 2023, LibertySociety.com
