New York City is preparing for its largest police expansion in two decades.
Mayor Eric Adams on Oct. 31 announced the city will add 5,000 new police officers over the next few years, bringing the total number of uniformed officers to 40,000 by Fiscal Year 2029.
The expansion will begin on July 2026, when 300 new officers join the force. That number will rise to 2,500 by July 2027 and reach 5,000 annually by mid-2028.
Once complete, the NYPD’s headcount will reach its highest level in 20 years, the mayor said.
The move follows the administration’s earlier efforts to grow the force to 35,000 by 2026 and its recent swearing-in of nearly 1,100 new recruits, the largest NYPD class since 2016. In total, 2,911 recruits have been hired this year, with another group scheduled before year’s end.
“Our administration has always been guided by the belief that public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity, and over the last four years, as we’ve driven crime down to record lows and presided over a resurgence in New York City from the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve proven that the price for our safety is well worth it,” Adams said in a statement.
The city credits its recent crime decline to these ongoing public safety investments. Since 2022, more than 24,000 illegal firearms have been taken off city streets and overall major crimes were down 3.8% as of September 2025.
Shooting incidents and victims are now at record lows, down more than 20% citywide this year, marking the fewest third-quarter shootings ever recorded. Transit crime has also hit all-time lows, with the safest summer on subways in modern history. These improvements mark the seventh consecutive quarter of major crime decline since early 2024.
