The city’s top cop insisted Sunday that he’s still holding out hope of hiring more officers this year, even after his big blow-up with a key City Hall aide over the issue.
“We are in negotiations with the Mayor’s Office on the numbers that I have proposed to him,” NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton told “The Cats Roundtable” AM 970 radio show. “I’m optimistic that we will, in fact, see an increase in the size of the department this year,” Bratton told the show’s host, former mayoral hopeful John Catsimatidis. “The exact number will be the result of negotiations, first with the mayor and then the mayor negotiating with the City Council.”
Bratton has proposed adding 1,000 new cops to the force, which has shrunk to about 35,000 officers from nearly 41,000 at the time of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Last week, The Post exclusively reported that Bratton blew his stack during a discussion about NYPD staffing with Deputy Mayor Tony Shorris. Bratton threatened to make an end run around the administration to arrange funding for more cops, sources said.
“If I don’t get them from you, I’ll go to the City Council and get them!” Bratton allegedly fumed before storming out of City Hall.
Bratton denied The Post’s front-page report, but multiple sources have confirmed its accuracy.
A spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio declined to comment on Bratton’s radio remarks and said Hizzoner’s position was unchanged since late last week, when he suggested there was no need for additional cops.
“I think the fact that our police force has once again performed so well is an indication of how good it is in its current state,” de Blasio told reporters Thursday.
The mayor refused to say if he was considering Bratton’s request.
“I think we’ve been over this now for a year and a quarter — we make budget announcements the day we make the budget announcement,” he said. “We don’t just give you hints. We actually make a budget announcement.”
The president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association, Michael Palladino, agreed with Bratton that a boost in cops was needed to help combat terrorism.
“Increasing the department at this time is critical in order to implement new strategies in anticipation of imposed changes by the federal court and to have sufficient staffing to address the constant threat of terrorism, ” Palladino said.
The head of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, however, said Bratton’s request fell short of addressing the staffing problem.
“We need more in the area of 6,000,” PBA President Pat Lynch said. “The demand for police services has increased tremendously due to crime and fighting terrorism.”
In addition to his comments about hiring more cops, Bratton on Sunday said authorities busted two Queens women on terror charges to prevent an attack like the one that killed three people and injured hundreds more at the 2013 Boston Marathon.
Bratton also called it “particularly shocking” that members of the public failed to report about 80 percent of the gunfire incidents detected by the NYPD’s new ShotSpotter surveillance system in crime-ridden sections of Brooklyn and The Bronx.