Blue blood infusion: NYPD welcomes largest recruit class in 9 years amid its ongoing staffing crisis

The NYPD got a much-needed infusion of blue blood Wednesday when it formally accepted nearly 1,100 police recruits — the largest class of future officers inaugurated in nine years.

Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch swore in the new class of recruits during a ceremony at the NYPD Academy in College Point, Queens. The 1,093 recruits come at a time when the NYPD is dealing with one of its greatest staffing crises in its history. This year, sources told amNewYork in a report published Tuesday, that “New York’s Finest” have lost an average of more than 300 officers per month due to retirement or resignation, and the department’s headcount of about 33,000 officers is about 2,000 shy of what had been budgeted.

The large class comes after the NYPD changed its qualification criteria for new police officers in an effort to lure new candidates to its ranks, from reducing the number of college credits required to increasing the number of college credits an officer receives upon graduation from the NYPD Academy. The NYPD also improved its fitness requirements, reinstating the mandatory 1.5-mile run for all recruits to ensure they’re in the best shape possible.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch swore in the new class of recruits during a ceremony at the NYPD Academy in College Point, Queens. The 1,093 recruits come at a time when the NYPD is dealing with one of its greatest staffing crises in its history.Photo via X/@NYPDPC

Those efforts seem to have paid off, the mayor acknowledged on Aug. 20, noting that this class of incoming officers reflects the city’s diversity — hailing from 51 countries and speaking 34 languages. Eighty of the new recruits also have prior or current military service on their records.

“[W]e are building a stronger and more modern NYPD that reflects the diversity, commitment, and determination of our city,” Adams said. “These recruits will be part of the nearly 10,000 police officers who have stepped up to serve under our administration, helping us achieve historic reductions in crime and keeping our communities safe.”

The NYPD has hired nearly 10,000 officers since Adams took office in January 2022. That includes the 1,093 recruits welcomed into the NYPD on Wednesday, and another 773 recruits installed in April wgho remain in training.

Tisch sees the large class as a real turning point in reinforcing the nation’s largest police force.

“The single most strategic thing the NYPD can do right now is hire more qualified officers. That’s why we were laser-focused on addressing our recruitment efforts and bringing in the next generation of officers,” she said. “The momentum is changing, and thanks to Mayor Adams’ support, we will continue to attract the highest level of candidates to protect this city.”

While Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry welcomed the new recruits, he told amNewYork that it barely dents the staffing crisis the department currently faces. With an average of 316 police officers leaving the force this year, according to the PBA, should attrition continue at that rate, the NYPD will have lost nearly 1,900 officers by the time the new class graduates in six months.

“These new recruits are a welcome relief for our overworked and burned-out members on the streets. But the real question is: Will they stick around?” Hendry told amNewYork Wednesday. “Every New York City police officer knows they can find a less punishing workload, a better quality of life, and competitive compensation in virtually any other police department in our area. The NYPD staffing crisis won’t end unless the city does more to keep the the talented cops it already has.”

The NYPD reports that daily applications have more than tripled since expanded officer eligibility was announced. The most recent NYPD entrance exam saw more than 5,000 individuals register in a two-week period to take it.

Upon graduation, many of these officers may be assigned to the NYPD’s Quality of Life Division — a new effort to focus on chronic quality-of-life problems and strengthen community trust.

For more information on how to become an NYPD officer, visit NYPDrecruit.com.

With reporting by Dean Moses