Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams announced plans Friday to hire 5,000 additional police officers by 2028, but the department is already struggling to hire and retain officers at its current headcount.

The new funding came in Adams’ latest budget plan, but it doesn't address the department's documented struggles to meet its current staffing levels. On top of nearly 1,300 current vacancies, police unions complained that recruiting can no longer keep up with attrition because people no longer want to be police officers.

Earlier this year, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the city was "begging" people to become officers, but after reducing hiring standards she said recruitment was "back in a big way."

Experts worry that if the only way to keep recruitment up is to reduce standards, policing q

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