NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- New York City council leaders on Friday announced their intention to back the calls to "Defund Police" by slashing the NYPD's budget by $1 billion.
Speaker Corey Johnson, joined by seven other City Council leaders announced in a joint statement "we believe that we can and should work to get to $1 billion in cuts to New York City’s police spending in the Fiscal 2021 budget, an unprecedented reduction that would not only limit the scope of the NYPD, but also show our commitment towards moving away from the failed policing policies of the past,"
Following the death of George Floyd while in the custody of the Minneapolis police, demonstrators have been calling to defund and reallocate funding from police departments across the nation.
"There is no doubt that this is an ambitious goal, but it is one that the time we are in calls for — both here in New York City and nationwide," the statement adds.
According to the lawmakers, they could axe the NYPD's budget by "reducing uniform headcount through attrition, cutting overtime, shifting responsibilities away from the NYPD, finding efficiencies and savings in OTPS spending, and lowering associated fringe expenses."
A statement released by PBA President Pat Lynch released a statement said, "for decades, every time a city agency failed at its task, the city's answer was to take the job away and give it to the NYPD. If the City Council wants to give responsibilities back to those failing agencies, that's their choice."
The budget's reduction would be counterproductive, Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association believes.
"If the City Council is calling for a $1 billion cut in the NYPD budget then let them have it. Ultimately they are not taking money from the NYPD but rather the safety of the citizens of New York City." Mullins said. "Just make sure all those council members who vote it through own it, sign their names to it and tell all residents they did it and not the police officers in the street."
Mayor Bill de Blasio and council members must agree on the budget by the end of June.