The number of New York City police officers getting injured by perps has skyrocketed in recent years, with the 2023 numbers totaling a whopping 5,363 cops hurt on the job.
In the final quarter of the year alone, 1,286 officers were injured in struggles with suspects, according to NYPD data obtained by the New York Post.
The annual statistics ranked the following precincts as the most dangerous for cops to work in:
- The Bronx’s 40th Precinct – 135 cops injured
- Brooklyn’s 75th Precinct – 129
- The Bronx’s 46th Precinct (128), 44th Precinct (126), and 47th Precinct (117)
According to one law enforcement insider: “No real surprises here – all very busy commands where perps are emboldened to fight.”
The number of NYPD officers hurt by suspects increased by 20 percent in 2022, with 4,724 uniformed officers suffering injuries. This figure was up from 3,933 in 2021.
The total amount of anti-cop attacks resulting in injuries in 2023 was 13 percent higher than in the year before.
Crime experts told the Post that the emboldened perps are a result of protests, illegal migrants, anti-cop rhetoric, and soft-on-crime policies like bail reform.
During a recent interview with NBC4 host David Ushery, NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell stated that there is “an uptick” in “migrant crime.”
Curfews have also been put in place by Democrat Mayor Eric Adams’ office in an attempt to curb migrant violence in shelters.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry called the increase in assaults on NYPD officers a “full-blown epidemic.”
“Even the simplest summonses are turning into all-out brawls. Our justice system needs to send a clear message, once and for all — is you assault a police officer, you will stay in jail,” Hendry said.
Former NYPD Lt. Rob Corbett, 50, transferred to a station down in Florida after being bloodied by a brick thrown at him during the George Floyd riots of May 2020.
After getting stitches and extensive dental work to correct the damage, Corbett left the NYPD after 25 years to become an Orlando-area cop.
“I couldn’t do it [the NYPD job] anymore, given the state of the laws, you know, the changes to the laws and all of that stuff as well,” he told the Post. “So it wasn’t the profession, it was just where I was doing the profession.”
According to Corbett, starting from scratch in a new city was worth it.
“It’s so much friendlier down here. You know, it’s a better place to be a cop and the laws are so much better,” he explained. “I gave up my rank and my seniority, you know, started from scratch at a huge pay cut. But the quality of life is a million times better.”