REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
Members of the New York Police Department work during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., March 30, 2020.
- The New York Police Department is missing a chunk of its officers during the coronavirus outbreak with nearly 1 and 5 officers out sick, according to a recent report.
- More than 1,400 NYPD employees have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Wednesday, according to CNN - and over 6,000 are out sick.
- New York has the most cases out of any US state, with more than 75,000 cases and 1,550 deaths. More than half of New York State's cases are reported in New York City.
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The New York Police Department is taking a significant staffing hit amid the coronavirus with nearly 17% of the force out sick, according to a report by CNN.
Nearly 6,172 uniformed officers are out sick - a 6% increase from Friday - and more than 1,400 NYPD employees have tested positive for the coronavirus.
New York has been hit worse than any other state in the US, with more than 75,000 cases and 1,550 deaths, with well over half of cases reported in New York City, according to Microsoft's COVID-19 tracker.
But NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea told CNN that the NYPD is in "good shape" right now and that the force is in "a constant state of planning" to make sure it continues to keep citizens safe especially during the coronavirus outbreak.
"We're reaching out more than ever to New Yorkers that need help, whether it's delivering food, calling domestic violence victims to make sure they're safe and we're still out there on patrol," Shea told CNN's Jim Sciutto.
Crime rates have also been down during the coronavirus outbreak. New York City reported a drop in serious felonies, murders, and arrests during the week of March 16 through March 22 compared to 2019.
Serious felonies dropped by 16.6%, murder rates saw the biggest drop with an 85.7% decrease, and arrests fell by 16% from the prior year.
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