By Keith Olson, President, Yonkers PBA
Yonkers is a special place. As a lifelong resident of Yonkers, a more than thirty-three year veteran of the Yonkers Police Department and as President of the Yonkers Police Benevolent Association, I have said that phrase countless times. “Yonkers is a special place.” I have said this sarcastically. I have said it euphemistically. But more than anything, I have said it, and meant it, quite literally. Yonkers truly is a special place.
One of the many things that makes Yonkers so special is how incredibly safe a community we are. While we often hear about Yonkers being one of the safest cities of our size, and while our elected officials frequently laud the amazing work that our police officers do, our level of safety is often taken for granted.
For me, the issue of safety was put in great perspective when my son moved to the Rochester/Buffalo region last year. As I looked at crime statistics comparing Yonkers to the cities in Western New York, I became unnerved, worried for the welfare of my son. For instance, in 2021 Yonkers had 21 shooting incidents; that is an incident in which someone was hit by gunfire. While one such incident can be considered too many, comparatively, the smaller city of Rochester had an astounding 350 shooting incidents in the same time frame. Buffalo, only slightly larger than Yonkers, had 301 shooting incidents in 2021.
For even more perspective on how safe Yonkers is we can look at our neighbors for comparison. Despite being one third the size of Yonkers, Mount Vernon had more shooting incidents in 2021 than did Yonkers. And a quick look at the daily headlines shows how our neighbors to the south, New York City, is erupting in violent crime. Current stats show how these amazing disparities in gun violence between Yonkers and other cities have continued to this day.
So this begs the following question. How? How is it possible that a city like Yonkers, bigger than Rochester and bordering the Bronx and Mount Vernon can have such a low rate of violent crime and remain so incredibly safe? While some folks may have varying opinions as to answers to this question, the main component is undeniable. That component is the Yonkers Police Department.
The Yonkers Police Department is arguably the best police department in the country. In every metric imaginable, the men and women of the YPD are accomplishing incredible things. In the midst of a nationwide violent crime surge, the YPD has kept Yonkers exceptionally safe. While taking illegal firearms off the street nearly every day, the YPD has seen a reduction in civilian complaints and police uses of force. We have managed to build on our bond with the community while at the same time nearly eliminating gun violence. Simply put, the YPD gets it right.
As an expert in this field, and speaking as one of the most experienced police officers in our region, I can say unequivocally that none of these accomplishments would be possible without having a motivated, well supported and fairly compensated police force. These are the things that improve morale, which is the most underrated factor in striving towards a sound police force and therefore, a safe community.
It is the high morale of the men and women of the Yonkers Police Department that compels them to risk their lives on a daily basis to keep the people we serve safe. It is what drives our Detectives to work tirelessly until they solve every crime they come across. It is also what inspires a 27-year veteran of our job to conduct an incredibly dangerous gun investigation, getting shot in the process, despite being only days from retirement. In policing, morale is everything.
Sadly, there are things at play in Yonkers City Hall that is destroying the morale of our police officers. In recent years, appointed city officials have shown a disappointing lack of support for some of our most vulnerable police officers, those who’ve been seriously injured in the performance of their duties. These same city officials have forced us into wasteful litigation regarding issues involving police officer’s contractual rights, made us deal with needless policies attacking our officers that have become pregnant and have forced upon us haphazard policies dealing with Covid-19. These are only a few examples of recent treatment from City Hall that has lowered morale in the YPD. Unfortunately, many of our officers feel that they are treated only as a number and not like the dedicated public servants that they are.
Most importantly, and most damaging to our morale, is that Yonkers police officers have worked without a contract for more than three years. While the police unions have attempted to meet as often as possible with the city in an attempt to negotiate a fair deal, the city has dragged this process out for far too long. To “assist” in negotiations, City officials have squandered hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on high-priced attorneys rather than reward their most dedicated first responders. The City of Yonkers has failed to negotiate fairly with their amazing police officers and that is unacceptable.
It is this slow but steady dismantling of morale that can destroy the fabric of a great police department like the YPD. There is more than enough reckless, external antagonism in the world of policing to make our jobs harder and the last thing the City of Yonkers should be doing is manufacturing more. Our fine officers, who’ve worked without a contract through the pandemic, a nationwide violent crime surge, through social unrest and an anti-police atmosphere, deserve much better. Our community deserves better as well.
Yonkers is a special place. Let’s keep it that way. Demand a fair contract now for your Yonkers police officers.
Det. Keith Olson, President, Yonkers PBA
