Contract Deadline Extended, But Some Stadiums Still May Not Keep Extra NYPD Patrols
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The deadline on a contract for extra NYPD officers at concerts and ball games has been extended, but questions persist about what could happen next.
As CBS2's Christine Sloan reported, a contract for venues large and small to hire extra uniformed NYPD officers had been set to expire Thursday.
NYPD officers who patrol Citi Field and many other venues, including Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden, are part of the NYPD Paid Detail Program. They have a precinct at Citi Field, and they work on their days off for extra cash alongside many private security officers.
But the new contract requires venues to accept legal responsibility for the officers.
Sources told CBS2 many of the organizations will not accept that responsibility, because it is too costly. That means you may not be seeing NYPD officers next time you go to an event.
CBS2's Sloan asked Mayor Bill de Blasio what would happen if the Yankees and Mets do not accept liability as feared.
"I am not familiar with the contract, so I want to make sure you get the complete answer," de Blasio said.
An NYPD official called CBS2 back late Wednesday afternoon. He said organizations like the Yankees have about 60 regular NYPD officers assigned to their stadium by the city.
The official said the venue can hire 10 or as many as 100 extra uniformed NYPD officers from the Paid Detail Program.
New Yorkers said they like the program.
"I want more cops, yes, I do," said Elaine Toth of the Upper West Side.
"Stuff where you have large crowds, gatherings -- come on!" said Gladys Roth of the Upper West Side.
The NYPD official said three quarters of the 100 organizations with which the NYPD has contracts for the Paid Detail Program have signed the new contract.
Now, the NYPD has extended the Thursday deadline to Sept. 30 to give the other big remaining venues more time.
"I think the way we've handled things has been fair to the venues we've dealt with," Mayor de Blasio said.
But even given the new deadline, some big venues told CBS2's Sloan they do not want the liabilities and may just rely on expanding their existing private security force.
