NYPD officers who stopped machete attacker were on overtime program facing cuts

According to a report by The New York Post, an NYPD source said that overtime for officers has “been getting cut back for the last year and a half.”

“Since you’re cutting overtime, the crime isn’t going to go anywhere,” the source said. “They’re minimum manning a lot of these subway stations because there’s a certain [overtime] cap that they don’t want you to go over.”

“If you go over that cap, [NYPD honchos] will bury the commanding officer. … If you go two hours over, [they] take your head off. This is what you have. You have crime and violence,” they added.

The incident occurred at around 9:50 am on the 4, 5, and 6 subway platforms, where a 44-year-old suspect attacked elderly victims before being confronted by detectives. Police fired multiple shots, striking the suspect, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The detectives also went to the hospital for evaluation.

The overtime issue has become part of a broader policy debate in New York City. Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani campaigned on eliminating the NYPD’s overtime budget, while the department had already begun reducing overtime under former Mayor Eric Adams. Overtime spending dropped by approximately $1.1 billion in the last fiscal year compared to fiscal year 2024.

As of January, new rules cut the number of subway overtime hours officers can work in half. Detectives can now only work up to 40 hours of total overtime a month, and “no more than two transit details,” the Post added. Previously, officers were able to work four or six of the 7.5-hour underground shifts each month.

Concerns have emerged that thousands of veteran NYPD officers could leave the force if further overtime reductions are implemented, as the cuts could reduce pension benefits. The department, however, has also told officers to expect increased overtime opportunities as New York prepares to host matches during the World Cup this summer.