Dozens of Mount Vernon police officers rallied outside of City Hall Thursday night to voice their opposition to the way their schedules are made.

Last Thursday, Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard announced the department was moving away from a "steady tour schedule" in which every officer works the same hours to one where they rotate shift times weekly.

The city says this will increase public safety and cut down on overtime, but the police union says it's the latest attack on the department.

Officers at the protest say they're already underpaid, understaffed, and don't have the right equipment from the job. They call this the latest slap in the face.

"Everyone is in agreement. It seems that the city doesn't really care much about the police department. At least that's the feeling about the men and women that work here," Nicholas Mastrogiorgio, president of the Mount Vernon PBA.

Patterson-Howard said in a response, “ I know there are frustrations that some officers feel, and I am available to sit down with the PBA leadership and continue our negotiations to ensure we can address their issues.”