Op-ed views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

The law enforcement veteran and InVest USA founder discusses a recent report surrounding the poor payment of some of New York’s finest.

The way of thinking in the New York government confuses me to no end.

Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams (who has been involved in his own level of controversy as of late) have really blown it when it comes to taking care of the police under their leadership. In fact, illegal immigrants living in the city are actually getting far more money than those trying to keep the streets safe from them. Does that make any sense?

But hang on, it’s about to get worse.

In a recent Fox News report, the NYPD’s Sergeants Benevolent Association (or SBA for short) revealed that they’re working under an expired contract with the city, which shorts them by anywhere between $8,000 and $15,000 than what officers typically make.

By comparison, a sergeant earns around $98,000 while experienced patrol officers earn $115,000. That’s absolutely ridiculous, especially when you consider the insurmountable pressure they’ve faced over the past few years.

Vincent Vallelong, who serves as the president of the SBA, noted, “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. 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.”

But Hochul and Adams don’t look prepared to budge in any way, as it’s reported that bringing these police salaries up could end up costing the city as much as $170 million. And considering they’re pouring out cash to those illegal immigrants in housing and hotels around the city, that’s not happening.

But the city could soon pay a price as a result. The New York Post added to the report, stating that sergeants are leaving their posts as a result of this dispute. In fact, 1,100 will be eligible for retirement in June, following the 70 who have already taken leave since the start of the year.

That’s a shame, according to Vallelong.

“It doesn’t seem like anyone’s priorities are in the right place because back in the ’90s, when the city needed to be turned around and we corrected crime, it was the NYPD that did it,” Vallelong told Fox News.

“They’re bleeding money, the city, in all the wrong places. Somebody in city governance either needs to go, or they really need to sit down and think this through and go back to basics.”

“Go back to basic math. Go back to basic economics.”

Right? If you’ve got people who are working around the clock to keep your city safe, then shouldn’t you be rewarding those people? Not the criminals that continue to keep them busy, but the officers making sure said criminals are being kept in their place.

Sadly, the mistreatment of the NYPD by Hochul and Adams has been going on for some time now. Thousands of officers lost their positions in 2020 with the rise of COVID, simply because they refused to take a vaccine that they knew little to nothing about.

And to add to that, two years later, thousands left their post in the department, feeling that it simply wasn’t worth it anymore. Some retired, and others left their pension behind due to the fact they didn’t need the stress.

So let’s just get right to the facts here. Adams and Hochul need to fix this. Now.

Get the sergeants back to the table and give them the money they deserve. I don’t care where they get it, though obviously the budget to support illegal immigrants would be a great place to start. And for that matter, make sure you take care of the other officers who are doing their job, rather than being concerned about the criminals they’re going against.

New York, you’ve got work to do. I suggest you do it because you really can’t fill the void left behind by a bunch of good officers who just want to be paid what’s due. Stop penny-pinching and give them the respect and appreciation they deserve.

Pay. Them.

• About
• Latest Posts

Michael Letts

Michael A. Letts, Founder, President, and CEO of In-Vest USA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bullet-proof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs.

Latest posts by Michael Letts (see all)

• With a new trial beginning this week, we’ll finally get answers about the ‘secret’ Chinese police station in New York - May 9, 2026
• The arrest of former FBI Director James Comey shows just how seriously social media can make an impact - May 2, 2026
• Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger says it’s not a sanctuary state, but her suspicious actions say otherwise - April 13, 2026

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.