Pre-Katrina New Orleans Only Had 1700 Police Officers

The NYPD announced plans to hire 800 new police officers and 400 new civilian employees, making for an additional 1,200 officers on the street:

Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly revealed yesterday the city will hire 800 new cops and 400 civilian employees beginning this summer.

The civilian hires will take over desk jobs currently performed by uniformed officers, allowing the NYPD to send a total of 1,200 additional cops onto the streets.

“We must face the reality that as our population grows and as terrorism remains a threat, making the safest big city in America even safer requires additional resources,” Bloomberg said, announcing the first city-funded expansion of the NYPD since 1993.

The hiring spree comes after years of downsizing, as Bloomberg confronted the city’s worst fiscal crisis since the 1970s. During his tenure, the number of uniformed cops was cut from a peak of about 40,700 in 2001 to roughly 37,000 today.

Despite cuts, the city recorded just 540 homicides last year — 26 fewer than in 2004 — and major crime has dropped 25% during the past four years.

“We are determined to lock in the success … and continue pushing crime down even further,” Bloomberg said.

Good luck to the new recruits — lord knows they won’t be doing it for the pay.