272 uniformed officers with the New York Police Department have filed for retirement since the city began seeing protests in response to the May 25 murder of Black Minneapolis resident George Floyd by a white police officer.
Countless other NYPD officers are planning to call in sick on July 4 to show their displeasure with the city’s police reform efforts following Floyd’s slaying.
The New York Post reports that the 272 retiring officers represent a 49 percent spike compared to the 183 who filed for retirement during the same period last year.
Explaining the mass retirement, Police Benevolent Association president Patrick Lynch recently said, “[NYPD officers] at their breaking point, whether they have 20 years on the job or only two.