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Thanks for your post. But after everything you haev discussed...you said "I am joining the NYPD in 3 months." Which is my point exactly...PEOPLE WANT TO BE IN THE NYPD! Although there are PLENTY of options out there..the NYPD, just like the NYFD, are the places to be.
It should be noted that the AVERAGE HH income in NYC is $42,000...so if you, as a SINGLE MAN earned $60,000....you are doing better than 1/2 the people..and you are single at that. And you should also remember...if you can't afford a house...don't buy one! Who says its a god given right to buy one? Because you are a cop you deserve one more than someone else? This city is a city of RENTERS....so rent like everyone else.
But if you insist on buying a house for some reason, there are NUMEROUS housing programs that will happily mortgage your life away for the house of your dreams.
Thanks for your post. But after everything you haev discussed...you said "I am joining the NYPD in 3 months." Which is my point exactly...PEOPLE WANT TO BE IN THE NYPD! Although there are PLENTY of options out there..the NYPD, just like the NYFD, are the places to be.
It should be noted that the AVERAGE HH income in NYC is $42,000...so if you, as a SINGLE MAN earned $60,000....you are doing better than 1/2 the people..and you are single at that. And you should also remember...if you can't afford a house...don't buy one! Who says its a god given right to buy one? Because you are a cop you deserve one more than someone else? This city is a city of RENTERS....so rent like everyone else.
But if you insist on buying a house for some reason, there are NUMEROUS housing programs that will happily mortgage your life away for the house of your dreams.
After 1 -2 years in the NYPD I will see if I could transfer to another police department. I have taken the exam for suffolk county. I would like to take the exam for San Jose but I will have to travel every time they need something or to take the other exams.
What you pay in rent for an apartment you could pay off 90 - 95% of the mortgage so you might just get a house and in 30 years its yours. I will be paying rent for 25 - 30 years and I will never see any money if when i retire to Florida. At least with a house its an investment I will get most of my money back when I sell it. Also most apartments are small and for a family of 4 or 5 you need a house.
The average income in NYC is 42,000 but you average new yorker doesn't risk the life every day to earn a living. Only the NYPD and NYFD does and they are not average. They are the Finest and the Bravest.
With that kind of false logic and horrendous financial planning..you would make an excellent sales agent for Century 21! Paying rent and paying a mortgage in this city are WORLD's APART. Not only are you saddled with a fat mortgage (sorry, you are not paying $1,600 mortgage on a 3 bedroom anything, more like $2,500+), you are ALSO paying:
-Taxes
-Heating
-Water
-Repairs
-Insurance
-and whatever other miscellaneous, like upgrading windows, new roof ev ery 5-10 years, landscaping/yard possibly, responsible for maintaing a clean sidewalk and street DAILY, and garbage.
And that's just off the top of my head! You can pay $1,600 and put the $1,000 difference in investments and do FAR better, and live FAR BETTER, without the headaches/hassles/immense debts of home "ownership." Then again...you do have the "priviledge" of saying you own a house. Not everyone should own a house, or can, which is why you are seeing massive defaults...on a cop's salary...I would say it is wise NOT to own...but rent instead.
The average cop is not earning that....that salary is after 20 years on the force so they are earning TOP pay. Furthermore, the pension is based on the last couple years of earning, and the dept gives LOTS of O/T to guys about to retire precisely so that they can jack up their earnings and get a big pension. It's a very common practice, and quite honestly, I don't mind it at all..they earned it.
Top Pay after 20 yrs is 60K. I worked in one of THE most overtime intensive units in the city, and cops weren't grossing 120K. Your friends are most likely Detectives with Grade, or Sgt's or above.
After 1 -2 years in the NYPD I will see if I could transfer to another police department. I have taken the exam for suffolk county. I would like to take the exam for San Jose but I will have to travel every time they need something or to take the other exams.
What you pay in rent for an apartment you could pay off 90 - 95% of the mortgage so you might just get a house and in 30 years its yours. I will be paying rent for 25 - 30 years and I will never see any money if when i retire to Florida. At least with a house its an investment I will get most of my money back when I sell it. Also most apartments are small and for a family of 4 or 5 you need a house.
The average income in NYC is 42,000 but you average new yorker doesn't risk the life every day to earn a living. Only the NYPD and NYFD does and they are not average. They are the Finest and the Bravest.
It's funny how those WHO ACTUALLY ARE NYC cops no longer want to pursue a career in the NYPD, and those WHO ARE NOT NYC cops have all kinds of mathematical arguements as to why the pay is adequate.
Reminds of people who buy an expensive car after doing the math and convincing themselves they can afford it, only to find they can't make ends meet after they buy the car. There's nothing like REAL LIFE to show you how things REALLY ARE!
Again, those WHO ARE NYC COPS are disgusted and leaving. Those WHO ARE NOT are "doing the math" and trying to argue that the NYPD is the Premier agency that qualified people want to join.
I don't doubt that is you added 20K-30K to just about ANY job interest would increase. The question begs, however, whether the additional money will solve the recruitment AND retention problems within the dept, because there are MUCH bigger factors at play as to why people are leaving than a 6 temporarily lowered salary for 6 months. (I have already listed my reasons.)
Perhaps you can briefly tell us what some of those reasons are.
I GUARANTEE YOU that a 20K-30K pay increase INSTANTLY SOLVES the NYPD's recruitment and retention problems.
Although I am sure your guarantees are worth their weight in gold to friends and family, we are neither of those. My example was of MY knowledge of those in the police force, so it is entirely possible that some make more after 20 years, and some make less. However, it is common practice to provide the guys retiring MASSIVE O/T so that they can artificially jack up their salaries and get a much larger pension...which is why pensions and top/average base salaries typically do not correlate.
SOME commands will do this, others actually try to limit the vets OT so they either don't retire or to keep the OT budget down by giving the OT to lower paid rookies. So it is inacurrate to say Common Practice.
Of course...let's blame the city for the PBA's actions! Way to pass the buck and give the Union a free pass to do whatever they want...kinda like the abusive Husband.."Why do you make me hit you." It's not my fault I hit you..you make me hit you! Lol....yes it's the city's fault alright....why do you make me help/entice the senior guys out and make me call the new recruits "losers." It's all your fault.
Of course the fact still remains that the City took part in SEVERAL negotiations that led to a lowered $25K starting salary. The PBA only took part in ONE.
I know cops as well, and I know residents of NYC too. And EVERYONE is leaving for money, better quality of life, less hassles, more space, better schools, better weather..etc. This is nothing unique to the NYPD..it is happening across the board. People are fed up with the cost of living in this city, and other areas are more attractive than ever...and people are jumping ship across the board.
However, the NYPD would have you believe the exodus is unique to them and SOLELY due to salary..and we all know that to be untrue.
The exodus of Law Enforcement personnel IS unique to the NYPD. How many other area Police Departments are experiencing an exodus? (Play Jeopardy song in head)
South those were too many posts! All I can say is that top pay is NOT 60K after 20 years..unless of course you did nothing for 20 years and hid under the staircase collecting checks...which some do no doubt. If you think top pay after 20 years for the average cop is $60K, then I can see why you believe that salary is a BIG problem.
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