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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

NYPD Taps Retired Cops to Help Brothers in Blue After Sandy

NEW YORK CITY — The NYPD is reaching out to retired cops to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and asking them to open their houses to other retirees displaced by the storm.

In a series of emails sent Tuesday to the Retiree Mobilization Plan — a list of 2,600 retired cops who have made themselves available to help during emergencies — the NYPD's Personnel Bureau provided information on helping officers, retirees and civilians who were affected by Sandy.

"Due to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Police Commissioner has ACTIVATED the Department's Retiree Mobilization Plan effective immediately," one email read. "This disaster has affected the whole tri-state area and if you are able to assist in any way please contact the Personnel Bureau."

Other emails asked able RMP volunteers to provide shelter for officers in need, and provided information on FEMA-staffed walk-in family resource centers for retirees who lost their homes in the storm's wake.

Last month, RMP volunteers were asked to assist with the New York City Marathon, which outraged some retirees who live in the Rockaways and Staten Island. After initially deciding to go ahead with the marathon, Mayor Michael Bloomberg canceled it two days before it was scheduled to run.

Roy T. Richter, the president of the NYPD Captains Endowment Association, praised the volunteers' assistance while acknowledging that the department's dwindling resources have made the move necessary.

"I think our retired members are an excellent resource that the police department has shown an ability to tap into," Richter said. "However, it highlights the fact that we're 7,000 fewer officers than we were 10 years ago."

The NYPD did not immediately respond to requests for comment.