Letters

Last month, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration disbanded the plainclothes unit that helped to keep guns off the streets. The 600 officers were reassigned to other duties within the Police Department.

Earlier this month, Mayor de Blasio announced that he plans to cut the Police Department’s budget by over $1 billion. The money will go to improving social programs. This defunding will hurt the poorest areas of New York City. Since January 1, murders rose 21 percent, shootings are up 46 percent, and shooting victims up 53 percent.

In my opinion, rather than defunding the police, the mayor should have increased their budget!

Recently, a number of senior police officers have taken early retirements, police morale is low and the job of policing in New York City has become more stressful.

This defunding is a blueprint for more lawlessness.

Richard Matula

Westhampton