NYC Emergency Response Times Worsen Amid Police Overtime Cuts
Data from the Mayor's Management Report indicates significant delays in FDNY and NYPD response times, coinciding with a substantial decrease in police overtime spending.
New York City is experiencing slower emergency response times for both medical emergencies and crimes, according to data released in the latest Mayor's Management Report (MMR). The report indicates a notable increase in the time it takes for the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and the New York Police Department (NYPD) to reach critical incidents.
FDNY ambulances and fire vehicles now take an average of 11 minutes and 55 seconds to arrive at the scene of a life-threatening medical emergency, an increase of more than a minute and a half from the previous year's time of 10 minutes and 21 seconds. Specifically, ambulance response times for these emergencies rose by nearly two minutes, from 11 minutes and 21 seconds to 13 minutes and nine seconds.
The NYPD is also facing slower response times. The department's average time to reach critical crimes in progress has increased by 20 seconds, now standing at nine minutes and 38 seconds. However, the report also noted a decrease in response times for serious crimes in progress, which dropped by 3% to 12 minutes and 35 seconds.
These increased response times have emerged as the city has seen a significant reduction in police overtime. According to the MMR, NYPD overtime pay plunged by 12%, with the city spending $966 million on overtime for officers, a decrease from $1.1 billion in the prior year.