On Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio promised $1 billion in NYPD budget cuts, reports Patch.
The decision comes after weeks of citywide demonstrations against police brutality, following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
De Blasio said the $1 billion would be redistributed into city youth programs, including putting more than $500 million in capital funding towards youth recreation centers and NYCHA developments. The announcement comes amid an occupation of City Hall by protestors demanding cuts to the NYPD budget, and nationwide calls to defund the police.
"Over this weekend, City Hall here, my office, presented to the City Council a plan that would achieve a billion dollars in savings for the NYPD, and shift resources to young people, to communities, in a way that would help address a lot of the underlying issues that we know are the cause of so many problems in our society," he said.
The mayor didn't provide details on the proposed cuts, and he did not give details on where the cuts would come from in the NYPD budget. Details will be hashed out by City Hall, the City Council and everyone else at the negotiating table, ahead of a Tuesday budget deadline.
De Blasio said the plan to defund the NYPD would ensure real police reform and redistribution of police funds, and it would not impact any patrol strength or school safety.
"We have to make reform the right way," he said.
