By Suzie Ziegler
NEW YORK — A New York City program that allows businesses to hire off-duty cops for security has had more interest lately. According to Bloomberg News, the long-running program saw a nearly 70% jump in revenue in 2021 compared to 2017.
The NYPD Paid Detail Unit, which began in 1998, allows uniformed and armed police officers to stand guard outside private businesses. Unlike typical security officers, the NYPD cops can make arrests, according to the report. Their rate typically runs from $45 to $62 an hour.
The program’s two biggest spending years in more than a decade have coincided with the pandemic and certain crime upticks, Bloomberg reported. This year, robberies are up 42% and assaults are up 20%.
Kathryn Wylde, the president of a New York City business group, says this has sparked more interest in the program.
Other cities have implemented similar programs. In December, San Francisco allowed Bay Area deputies to work overtime shifts at local retailers after a series of brazen smash-and-grab robberies.