NYPD detectives find more reasons to retire early, including overtime opportunities

Hundreds of experienced NYPD employees are leaving the force, raising fears that cases and criminals will go unnoticed, The Post has learned.

According to NYPD data, the NYPD has seen 370 detectives retire in 2023 and 422 detectives so far in 2024; this is an increase of 14%.

The number of detectives decreased by 30% from approximately 7,000 in 2001 to 5,500 this year.

“You’re losing all the people with experience,” said Detective Kim Cenizal, 47, who has been on the crime scene investigation team for 11 years and plans to retire in January. “All our cases are big and there are bad guys who, for one reason or another, shouldn’t be on the streets.”

Ironically, the exodus was triggered by a boon in overtime pay.

As crime in the underground increased, Mayor Adams filled the subway with cops.

Overtime increased the average detective’s pay from an extra $115,000 to $200,000 or more.

Because lifetime pensions are based on their last year’s salary, many detectives find they can’t afford to stay.

But many fear that less experienced investigators will mean more cases falling apart in court.

The NYPD’s rate of solving new murders each year remains just under 50%.

“That’s a big reason why I don’t want to leave,” Cenizal said. “But the reasons for leaving outweigh that.”

Bronx Homicide Detective Robert KleinAt 45, after 20 years on the job, he found himself working more overtime than ever before.

“There is overtime you can volunteer to work every weekend, and I took advantage of that,” he said.

The father of four investigates murders five days a week and puts on his blue uniform to police the subway one day on the weekend.

“If I slow down on overtime now, my pension will start to decrease,” he said. “And you know this pension isn’t just for me. This is for my family, for my children. “This is an investment and I spent over 20 years in the police force.”

Subway crimes are down 7 percent this year, but subway homicides are nine so far this year and are up 80 percent, according to NYPD data.

Mayor Adams promised to bring 1,200 new officers to the force this week. This new manpower could lead to reduced overtime for detectives, making retirement time more ripe.

Klein also worries about what liberal cops will do to policing in the future.

He cited the “no-stop law,” which requires him to keep track of the age, gender and race of every witness he interviews in his cases, “so it can be used as a weapon against law enforcement.”

“Are we going to continue to legislate against the police department?” he asked. “It doesn’t seem like it’s going in a good, solid detective direction.”

Bomb Squad Det. Kevin Canavan is worried about the future of his 32-person unit, which includes 24 members who have been in place for more than 20 years.

“If we get up and leave, most of the bomb disposal team will be wiped out,” he said.

The Detective Endowment Association is working on a bill that would change the salary system so that detectives’ pensions are based on the last three-year average, union officials said.

“Our most experienced detectives are retiring,” DEA Director Scott Munro said. “We don’t have enough people to do the job. NYC residents are paying the price for overwhelmed and understaffed teams.”

Retired Detective Ed Nusser, 45, left Ballistics with 508 other detectives in 2022; This year was overshadowed by retirements until 2020, when more than 800 detectives left at the beginning of the pandemic.

“When I first came to the unit, there were more detectives over the age of 20 than detectives under the age of 10,” said Nusser, who has investigated thousands of shootings. “Now, of the 45 or so detectives in the unit, only two are over 20 years old.”