Facing Officer Shortages, New York City Adjusts Recruitment to Bolster Police Force
New York City is actively working to address a shrinking police force, with outgoing officials outlining a plan to maintain a 35,000-strong NYPD. the initiative comes as the city grapples with significant officer departures and declining recruitment numbers.
Since 2020, over 14,000 NYPD officers have left the force through retirement or resignation. Projections indicate further losses, with an anticipated 2,800 to 3,400 officers leaving in 2025 alone, alongside over 5,300 remaining eligible for retirement.
Compounding the issue, recruitment has faltered. While approximately 18,000 individuals took the NYPD exam in 2017, that number dropped to fewer than 8,000 in 2025.
To counter these trends, the NYPD has implemented changes to its entry requirements. A key adjustment involves reducing the required college credits for applicants from 60 to 24. This change aims to broaden the applicant pool, opening opportunities to over 5,000 candidates previously ineligible due to the higher credit requirement, who are currently on 29 active civil service lists.
Furthermore, the NYPD has secured a reevaluation from the National college Credit Proposal Service (NCCRS). This assessment now recognizes the six-month NYPD Police Academy recruit training program as equivalent to 45 college credits,an increase from the previously recognized 36 credits. This reflects the academic rigor of the program,which includes coursework in criminal law,criminal procedures and investigations,constitutional rights,and crisis intervention.
Alongside academic adjustments, the NYPD is reinstating a conventional physical fitness standard: completing a 2.4 kilometer run in under 14 minutes and 21 seconds.
Minimum requirements for applicants now include:
* Completion of 24 university credits, a high school diploma, or two years of military service.
* Being at least 20 years and 6 months old at the time of appointment, and not having reached the age of 35 at the beginning of the submission period.
* US citizenship or permanent residency.
* A valid New York State driver’s license at the time of hire.
* Passing medical, psychological, physical, and drug exams.
* A clean criminal record, free of convictions for serious crimes or domestic violence.
* Demonstrated proficiency in English, both written and spoken.
* A history of good conduct, verified through a thorough character and background evaluation.
These changes appear to be yielding positive results. Requests to join the NYPD have increased by 332% since the eligibility criteria were expanded, rising from an average of 53.5 daily requests to 231.5.In the first 14 days following the changes, 5,000 peopel registered for the latest police exam.
These efforts are crucial as the city seeks to secure funding to maintain its current police force size of 35,000 officers.
