> Get rid of the UN and the statement would likely still be true
Get rid of the UN and the NYPD can be smaller.
And it's not just the UN. New York is a second diplomatic capital. So you're also replicating D.C.'s consular security force. This is before we get to it being a financial and cultural centre, to say nothing of the largest city in America and a precedented target of international terrorism.
> budget is roughly equivalent to 2020 Ukraine's
New York City's economy is double the size of Ukraine's pre-war economy [1][2]. Were it a country, it would sit between Turkey and Indonesia, eclipsing even the economy of Saudi Arabia [3].
The fact remains that single cities in the US - NY is hardly the only example - have budgets, manpower, and weaponry that exceed much of the world's nation states.
Chicago and LA are roughly #60 on the list of the world's militaries.
> fact remains that single cities in the US - NY is hardly the only example - have budgets, manpower, and weaponry that exceed much of the world's nation states
And I'm contextualising it. Given its population and economy, the NYPD should have the resources of similarly-sized nation-states.
> we're the third highest in percent of GDP spent on cops
America is definitely over-policed. I'm not sure New York is.
> Given its population and economy, the NYPD should have the resources of similarly-sized nation-states.
I just can't say I agree with this statement. NYC itself being part of an even bigger nation-state should mean that a number of the responsibilities that fall under the purview of your example similarly sized nation-states militaries/establishments are likewise handled by NYC's parent state, allowing for efficiencies that free up resources better spent on other programs. On its face the duplication of effort on several levels seems wasteful.
E: So my thesis is that I agree that NYC should have the resources of similarly-sized nation-states, however they could be better apportioned.
I agree. I also can't see a New York politician dismantling that infrastructure, given the downsides that would result were a plot to get through. (Irrespective of whether the NYPD's international offices would have helped.)
Cops over-bully people but the actual policing is severely lacking. There's a problem with funding and allocation of said funds. So that apparent over-policedness is a result of under-policying. :/
why are you comparing NYC police force to Ukraine military rather than Ukraine police force? The fact that anyone sees the roles as comparable is a lot of the problem.
I'm not disagreeing with how ridiculous it is, but when you have their commissioners making statements confirming that they can shoot down aircraft, we've moved past the normal definition of a police force: https://nationalpost.com/news/nypd-able-to-shoot-down-planes...
It has a more complicated remit than most countries' militaries. (For example, the NYPD functions as the UN's ersatz security force.)