As one of the largest cities in the world, New York City has never lacked its shares of tough times. From the civil war to the 9/11 attacks, the city has a long history of facing and overcoming crisis.
Behind every event, the New York Police Department was with the residents. NYPD’s tenacity and professionalism became known to the entire world when they inspired hope during the aftermaths of the 9/11 attacks.
On that fateful day 19 years ago, 23 NYPD officials lost their lives. Many more continues to struggle with medical aftereffects, famously championed by former Daily Show host Jon Stewart.
Its most recent challenge is the coronavirus epidemic. NYC has become an epicenter of the pandemic in the US, and the police department has been struck just as hard as other citizens.
In a data that issued on Friday, NYPD said that 7,096 police officers were unavailable to work because they were sick. That accounts to almost 20% of the entire department.
So far, 19 officers have passed away because of the coronavirus. Unfortunately, it seems highly likely that this epidemic will claim more officers than the terrorist attack on 9/11.
While most of the population is asked to stay inside, police officers are the few that expected to hold their line. This is no easy request for the officers as their friends and family are affected by the virus.
Moreover, crime rates have surged in the city. Prior to the outbreak, crimes was already on the rise in the first months of 2020. On the day when mayor Bill de Blasio announced a state of emergency, there was a 75% increase of burglary according to the Wall Street Journal.
Enforcement of social distancing and self-quarantines are posing a new challenge for the department. One unexpected side effect of quarantine has been a rise in domestic violence. Along with the new task of enforcing social distances in public spaces, shortage of personnel may severely hamper the efficiency of the NYPD.
However, true to their mission, 600 police officers have returned to their works after being cured of the coronavirus. There is little doubt that their dedication is saving many more lives.
Recently, there was a story of an officer being assaulted while inspecting a suspect. The least we can do is show our respect for their services. Share with us your thoughts on this issue in the comments, and follow us on Facebook for more news.
Replaced!