New York's Finest — and Cheapest
You know how those run-of-the-mill beat cops — young guys, presumably rookies — standing around on, say, the West Fourth subway platform or near the Astor Place cube, just keeping an eye on things, always seem thoroughly unhappy? How sometimes you start to feel a little Bedford Fallsish and try to catch their eye as you walk past so you can say, "Mornin', officer," but they always sullenly look away? We always assumed that's because, well, they're New Yorkers, and New Yorkers are always a little bit sullen, and also because it must suck to spend hours at a time standing up, walking around, in the cold, and not really doing anything.
But today the News gives an entirely different reason rookie cops will be entitled to appear sullen and angry: They're now paid only $25,100 a year. Which would make anyone sullen and angry.
