New NYS law raises NYPD's mandatory retirement age from 63 to 65

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday signed two measures into law aimed at increasing retention within the NYPD, including raising the mandatory retirement age from 63 to 65.

In addition, Hochul signed a measure that allows officers who began their service with the NYPD on or after July 1, 2000, so-called Tier 2 officers, to base their pensions on one of two methods that works to their advantage.

The new measures were applauded by NYPD officials and a number of unions as a way of helping the department retain experienced officers at a time when attrition over the past few years has drained seasoned officers and detectives from the force.

"To have a safe city, we must have the best and most experienced police officers who are committed to public service," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement. "This legislation will have to improve retention and ensure that our officers get what they deserve for their years of service and hard work."

Tisch has been fighting against losses of experienced officers since she took over as commissioner in late 2024. While new classes of police recruits have beefed up the numbers in the short term, attrition running at about 200 officers a month has meant that the head count, now at about 34,000, has basically been treading water.

Some said the raising of the retirement age to 65 will have a negative impact on younger officers who are seeking promotions because there would be fewer vacancies opening up.

Chris Herrmann, an associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the retirement age change could gum advancement in the ranks.

“If you don’t get as many retirees, you slow down the number and type of promotions," Herrmann said.

Meanwhile, attrition has hit the detective force particularly hard in recent month, said Scott Munro, head of the New York City Detectives Endowment Association, which had lobbied hard for the pension system change.

"For two years, the DEA fought to fix the inequity of the 2A pension tier," Munro said in a statement, referring to the way detectives decided to retire based on their last year's salary, sweetened with overtime, to ensure a bigger pension. "The reform gives our detectives the ability to decide when the time is right to retire, instead of continuing to chase the carrot to secure the pension they earned."

Louis Turco, head of the NYPD Lieutenants Benevolent Association, said Hochul's signings recognized the value of retaining police officers at a time when the city needs to keep safe.

Unlike the other police unions, the New York City Police Benevolent Association, which is the largest NYPD union, declined to comment on the new measures signed by the governor.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.