In September 2024, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) released data reflecting the longest police response times in decades on record. According to the police union, the NYPD’s response delays, which are the longest since the 1990s, are related to the agency’s understaffing, with the lowest number of officers since 1990. The report also ties longer response times to an increase in traffic congestion as well as a rise in emergency calls. And the NYPD is not alone.

According to a National Public Radio piece in 2023, data collected from 15 cities, including major cities like New Orleans, Louisiana; Nashville, Tennessee; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington, show a similar trend. Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, points out that officers’ retirement and resignation rates are increasing, and it’s become harder to find new recruits to fill out the ranks. He cites the longer response time as an early warning sign of the effects of the staffing shortages endemic in the profession.