Mayor Bloomberg on Thursday ruled out any layoffs in the NYPD next year – just as the City Council said cutting cops would jeopardize the safety of New Yorkers.

“I don’t think that we will have to lay off police officers,” Bloomberg told the Daily News Editorial Board. “I don’t think we can. We have to maintain the size of the Police Department.

“Some things you cannot cut.”

Murders and shootings spiked in the first three months of this year, even as overall crime continued to fall.

A shocking subway double slaying followed by Easter night mayhem in Times Square led to fears that further NYPD cuts would compromise the city’s safety.

Bloomberg said he speaks daily with Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly about keeping a lid on crime.

“We’re changing our tactics daily,” Bloomberg said. “I am convinced that we will continue to bring crime down.”

The mayor spoke on the same day the Council warned that more budget cuts for the Police and Fire Departments would put “at risk” the gains made in past years in reducing crime and fire fatalities.

The Council’s official response to the mayor’s proposed $63.6 billion preliminary budget voiced strong concern that the NYPD’s “patrol strength is slipping to an insufficient level.”

“We cannot allow improvements the city has made in public safety to be lost and set ourselves back to years past,” said Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

Bloomberg had ordered uniformed services to prepare contingency cuts of another 3.6% to cope with the potential loss of up to $1.3 billion in state aid.

He had warned that such a draconian cut would force the layoffs of up to 3,150 police officers and up to 1,050 firefighters.

The Council budget response also noted that “the final outcome of negotiations between the governor and the Legislature will likely be somewhat more favorable to the city.”

(Read More at NY Daily News / YWN-4705)