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By Doug Cunningham

An arbitration deal that cut starting pay for New York City police officers is coming back to haunt both the city and the union. New York cops start at just $25,100. Until 2005 starting pay was $36,000. But when the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association pushed for a 10.25 percent retroactive pay raise for current officers an arbitrator granted that raise while cutting starting pay for rookies. Nine hundred officers quit the NYPD last year, nearly three times the annual resignations a decade ago. And recruitment is being hurt by the low starting pay, too. The NYPD’s police academy is 900 recruits short of its goal.