Public Employee Press

NYPD cancels 400 civilian layoffs

In late June, New York Police Dept. Commissioner Raymond Kelly canceled plans to lay off 400 civilian workers and reassigned many uniformed officers from clerical duties to street patrols in high-crime precincts.

“This will save money and provide better police protection for the public,” said Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez.

“The officers performing clerical functions are paid much more than our members, so the city could save millions of dollars,” he said, pointing out that an arbitrator has ordered the NYPD to use clerical staff to replace uniformed officers doing desk duties.

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts and Rodriguez worked closely together to convince the Bloomberg administration to cancel the layoffs.

According to Rodriguez, the policy change will probably lead the city to call the civil service list for the Police Administrative Aide title and appoint many from the list to permanent jobs.

On June 25, Rodriguez met with U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer in an effort to ensure that the Police Dept. can use federal stimulus funds to hire additional clerical-administrative employees.