The number of candidates taking the exam to join the New York City Police Department has plummeted by more than half over the past eight years, The Post has learned.
The number of prospective New York Finest members declined from 18,000 in 2017 to just 8,000 this year, a 55% drop, according to data from the Police Benevolent Association, New York City's largest police union.
“The biggest problem is that police officers are telling their friends and family not to get involved in this job, even as a stepping stone, because it's not worth it.” A Brooklyn police officer with more than a decade of experience told the Post.
“They will be worked to the bone, attacked by criminals and politicians, subjected to pointless complaints and severe discipline.”
A longtime NYPD officer said his son plans to join the Suffolk County Police Department this year, despite the lower starting salary, rather than follow in his father's footsteps in New York City.
“You don't have to work every New Year's Eve and Fourth of July,” his father said. “You don’t have to worry about getting stabbed or shot or sued all the time.”
Suffolk County police officers earn a starting salary of $43,000 a year, which increases to $158,828 after 11 and a half years.
New York City Police Department fees start at $53,790.
One recently retired Brooklyn police officer said he advises young people not to join the department.
“I'm telling them if I can find another agency that will accept you, I'll go,” the 45-year-old said. “If I could, I would run for the hills.”
Mayor Adams promised in November to hire 1,600 new police officers by 2025, but the city is having trouble finding strong candidates, a union spokesperson said.
Even if the city reaches its 800 academy cadets (candidates who pass the test and meet all other mental and physical criteria) by the January 29 goal, it will hire 800 second-term students. When the time comes, the pool of candidates will become shallower. April Union stated:
The general rule is that 1 in 8 candidates passes the test and meets all other criteria. Therefore, approximately 13,000 candidates will be needed to fill the 1,600 spots in the academy.
Faced with a decline in the number of test takers, the New York City Police Department took the unusual step of contacting candidates who took the test going back seven years, officials said.
To make matters worse, the department's staffing numbers are at their lowest in more than 30 years.
Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, cited the “stupid law” that the City Council passed to police.
“Many of my students no longer want to be police officers,” Giacalone said. “Back in the day, everyone in my class wanted to be a police officer.”
In 2020, the left-wing majority Congress introduced anti-choking laws and “How Many Stops” laws that make it illegal for police to put pressure on a person's neck or diaphragm, killing morale and reducing police efficiency. It has passed six bills that critics say will lead to deterioration. Police officers are required to fill out forms after each encounter.
According to law enforcement officials, police assume that the same offenders, some of whom are immigrants that officers are not authorized to turn over to ICE, have committed crimes and are quickly back on the streets. This makes the job less attractive.
PBA Chairman Patrick Hendry wants the city to find a balance between the law and salaries to make jobs more attractive.
“Currently, new candidates believe that a career in the NYPD is more work, more risk, more pressure and more work in exchange for fewer benefits and lower pay than most other police jobs. I know it means enduring intense scrutiny,” he said.
“Our city must strike a balance by reducing the burden on police officers and increasing compensation to compete for top recruits.”
