Police ‘Handcuffed’ as Shootings Soar to 24-Year-High in New York

Police gather at the scene where two New York City officers were shot in a confrontation, in New York on June 3, 2020. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

BROOKLYN—New York City is spiraling into a rule-of-law crisis, according to the city’s police department, citing the recent surge in shootings and a paralyzed justice system that can’t keep repeat offenders off the streets.

While the NYPD has sounded the alarm for months, city leaders seem to be headed in the opposite direction, slashing the department’s budget by $1 billion.