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There are less cops on Staten Island than in 1968, according to the DA’s office.<\/p>\n
Staten Island\u2019s police force is smaller than it was in 1968 \u2014 even though the population has doubled since then.<\/p>\n
The slide has accelerated in recent years \u2014 prompting borough leaders to sound the alarm over a 16% drop in officers patrolling the Forgotten Borough over the past five years alone.<\/p>\n
The NYPD now has about 630 officers on the island, compared to 800 in 1968.<\/p>\n
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There are less cops on Staten Island than in 1968, according to the DA\u2019s office. Helayne Seidman for the NY Post<\/p>\n
The borough of 495,000 residents is bigger than Miami, Cleveland or Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are in constant dialogue to ensure that Staten Island is well represented in terms of personnel, and we will continue that conversation and get the resources that Staten Island expects and deserves,\u201d Borough President Vito Fossella said at a press conference Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Despite fewer cops on the beat, major crime was down 5.7% between Jan. 1 and March 29 compared to the same period last year, and there have been no murders reported so far in 2026, according to NYPD data<\/a>.<\/p>\n But one of the island\u2019s four precincts, the 121st on the north shore, saw a 39% surge in assaults, from from 49 to 68, and a 17% spike in robberies, from 12 to 14.<\/p>\n Robberies also increased in the mid-island\u2019s 122nd precinct by 9% from 11 to 12.<\/p>\n DA Michael McMahon, center, and BP Vito Fossella, to McMahon\u2019s left, held a press conference in front of Brother\u2019s Pizzeria on Staten Island Wednesday. Sonya Gugliara\/NY Post<\/p>\n Staten Island DA Michael McMahon\u2019s office said there is a dire need for more cops.<\/p>\n \u201cThe number one issue we hear from our NYPD partners is personnel. They are stretched too thin, especially on Staten Island,\u201d a spokesperson told The Post.\u00a0\u201cThis reality has a massive impact on local law enforcement\u2019s ability to properly deter and investigate crime.\u201d<\/p>\n Staten Island has been \u201cremarkably safe this year so far,\u201d an NYPD spokesperson told The Post.<\/p>\n \u201cThe NYPD puts cops where the crime is \u2013 that is policing 101. Thanks to the incredible work of the members of the NYPD, major crime is down on Staten Island, including zero murders so far this year. We are constantly monitoring crime across the city, and we deploy officers where they are needed most.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"DA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/8c378417e068f514def9e5ab3cd285f4.jpeg\"\/)
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