New York, NY —

City district attorneys say the mayor's budget plan strips them of funds they need to prosecute crimes. At a hearing today, DAs told the city council their caseloads are getting heavier while their budgets shrink. Queens DA Richard Brown says he can't afford to pay competitive salaries, and often loses staff to the private sector.

BROWN: So what all of this means to us is uncertainty from a New York City point of view. My office faces a potential loss of nearly $4.4 million in 2011 alone. The impact of all of this is enormous.

All five of the city's district attorneys raised concerns that the mayor's budget will force them to cut staff and programs even though arrests are rising city-wide.