NYPD shakes up cop schedules to help stop the growing violence during weekends

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New York City cops are being told to adjust their work schedules to be available on weekends in an effort to address the growing violence in the city.

An internal memo from Police Commissioner Dermot Shea to department commanders ordered two-thirds of officers under the rank of captain to switch shifts so they can report for duty Saturdays and Sundays, the Daily News reported.

The NYPD referred Fox News to statements Shea made about the directive Monday morning to Fox 5.

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New York City police officers detain and question a man in the Bronx borough of New York. Many NYPD officers are being told to change their work shifts to be available on weekends in an effort to address the growing violence in the city. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

"The vast majority of people don't have weekends off," Shea told the news station. "This gives us a little more flexibility to make sure that every single man and woman is able to be used."

The memo cited the coronavirus pandemic and the protests against police brutality and racial injustice that have spread across the country, including New York, but have also grown violent amid confrontations between demonstrators and authorities.

Moving forward, officers usually off on weekends will have to work Sunday through Thursday. Others will be assigned shifts from Tuesday to Saturday, the memo reportedly said.

The changes take effect Aug. 31, according to the newspaper. It was not clear how many officers have weekends off.

In a statement to Fox News, New York City Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said the move shows how "dire the situation on the street has become."

"Our elected leaders are busy stripping resources from the NYPD in the middle of a crime wave, and yet they’re asking cops to sacrifice more to help right the ship," Lynch said. "We are at the breaking point.”

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The shift changes come after another deadly weekend in the city that saw five people killed in 20 shootings.

As of Aug. 16, the city saw 259 murders compared to 199 in the same time period last year, according to police statistics. The number of shootings victims increased by 89%, from 581 to 1,095.