NYPD says it's prepared to handle World Cup and America's 250th this summer

New York City and the Tri-State Area are gearing up for a big summer.

Major events include the 2026 FIFA World Cup and America's 250th birthday celebration. 

In New York City, police say they're prepared to keep everyone safe. 

"Absolutely," NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta said. "We adjust, it's not even daily, it's hour to hour." 

"We know where our crime occurs"

Gulotta's remarks came just days after a man who slashed three riders with a machete at Grand Central Terminal was shot and killed by responding officers.

"Incidents like that are just a complete tragedy. It shakes the whole entire city," Gulotta said. "Our officers were exactly where we needed them to be, exactly where we asked them to be."

The NYPD says major crime is down, with 2025 being the safest year underground since 2009, outside of pandemic years. Data shows there were 601 subway incidents in the first quarter of this year, compared to 610 during the same time last year.

"We know where our crime occurs. We know our recidivists. Our officers do a really good job, so if there's a crime in the subway, we know who it is real quick. There's cameras everywhere. We have cameras on the trains, that's been a big game changer for us," Gulotta said.

"Cops on the street will be stretched thin"

But with the World Cup games coming to our area, and a planned ball drop to usher in the 4th of July and celebrate America's 250th birthday, the Police Benevolent Association says hundreds of cops are quitting and retiring monthly.

"The whole world is converging on NYC this summer. Cops on the street will be stretched thin trying to keep everyone safe. The massive summer workload will have a significant impact on police officers' quality of life, at a time when we still have hundreds of cops quitting or retiring every month. The city needs to start working with us now to help keep cops on the job," PBA President Patrick Hendry said in a statement. 

"There's plenty of people to secure all the events citywide"

CBS News New York asked Mayor Zohran Mamdani about it. 

"Are there enough officers to protect New Yorkers and tourists this summer?" Jennifer Bisram asked. 

"Yes. We feel good about our staffing levels and we're excited about everything we are going to deliver," Mamdani said. 

CBS News law enforcement contributor Rich Esposito echoed the mayor's sentiment.

"We are going to be fine. We are going to be fine citywide. We're going to fine for tourists. We're going to be fine for Times Square," Esposito said. "Because though there might be a staffing crisis, and the PBA is correct, we are losing more than we are gaining, there are still more than 34,000 police officers in the city of New York. There's plenty of people to secure all the events citywide."

The NYPD said more than 175 officers were also recently added to the subway system.