NYPD Hiring: Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch Reduces College Credit Requirements to Recruit More Officers
New Strategy to Address Hiring Crisis and Retirement Crisis
Seeking to recruit more officers, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced on Wednesday morning a dramatic reduction in the department’s college credit requirements for candidate cops.
The comments came during the top cop’s speech at the ABNY Power Breakfast inside the Hilton Midtown Hotel. Tisch outlined a new, multi-tier plan designed to bolster NYPD ranks facing both a hiring crisis and a retirement crisis that has depleted the rank-and-file of “New York’s Finest” — from a high of 37,000 uniformed officers seven years ago, to an estimated 33,000 cops today.
Reduced College Credit Requirements
The main crux of Tisch’s strategy is immediately lowering the number of college credits needed to become an officer from 60 to 24; that impacts more than 5,000 candidates on 29 active civil service lists who were previously ineligible to join the NYPD. Police officials hope that this will attract more applicants and increase the ranks.
Increase in Credits Earned at the Police Academy
Though the move lowers the credit requirement for enlisting with the NYPD, Tisch noted that the department is also increasing the number of credits earned by a candidate upon completing the police academy.
According to police sources, a reassessment conducted by the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS), the NCCRS determined that completion of the six-month NYPD Police Academy training program was equivalent to 45 college credits, up from the previous 36 credits.
The increase in credits was based on the academic strength and rigor of the program, which covers criminal law, criminal procedures, and investigations, constitutional rights, crisis intervention, and more. As a result, each academy graduate will enter the NYPD having earned a minimum of 69 college credits — which qualifies them for an associate degree.
No Longer Unique in Requiring College Credit
The NYPD is one of the last major city police departments in America to require college credit. Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, and Detroit do not have such a college credit mandate. Suburban NYC police departments, such as Suffolk and Westchester Counties, also lack this standard.
Boosting Physical Fitness
Along with tweaking academic requirements, Tisch further announced that the NYPD is looking to boost the physical fitness of its officers by reinstating a long-standing requirement for each candidate officer to complete a 1.5-mile run in less than 14 minutes, 21 seconds.
Conclusion
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s new strategy aims to address the department’s hiring crisis and retirement crisis by reducing college credit requirements and increasing the number of credits earned at the police academy. The move is expected to attract more applicants and increase the ranks of the NYPD.
FAQs
Q: Why is the NYPD reducing college credit requirements?
A: To attract more applicants and increase the ranks of the NYPD in the face of a hiring crisis and retirement crisis.
Q: How many college credits are now required to become an NYPD officer?
A: 24 college credits.
Q: How many credits will candidates earn upon completing the police academy?
A: A minimum of 69 college credits, which qualifies them for an associate degree.
Q: Is the NYPD the only major city police department to require college credit?
A: No, several other major city police departments, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, and Miami, do not require college credit.
