1,200 New Police Recruits to Join New York City’s Force This Year

The City of New York plans to add an additional 1,200 new police officers, the office of Mayor Eric Adams announced on Saturday.

“I always say that public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity. By driving down crime, we have saved lives and laid the foundation for economic recovery, but we want to keep that going and we won’t do anything to risk all our progress,” Adam’s announcement began.

By adding 600 new recruits to the New York Police Department (NYPD) police academy classes in July and October, the city will bring the total number of new NYPD recruits for 2024 to 2,400. The 1,200 new officers will be ready to work the streets of New York in January 2025 and April 2025 respectively.

“Today, I am proud to announce that, thanks to our strong fiscal management that has stabilized the city budget and our fiscal outlook, we are funding two additional police classes this year in the upcoming Executive Budget. These 1,200 additional officers will be hitting the streets to keep us safe in the coming year, while we continue to drive down shootings and homicides citywide at a near historic pace.”

The Mayor’s Office states that public safety has been his top priority and says overall crime is down 3 percent in 2024, while shootings and homicides are down 20 percent and 23.5 percent respectively.

Speaking at Saturday’s press conference, NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said, “This funding for the NYPD’s July and October 2024 recruit classes is a major win for public safety in New York City. While the NYPD will always be at the forefront of new technology and precision policing, the police officer is the ultimate crime reduction tool. I am grateful to Mayor Adams for his generous and continual support of New York’s Finest.”

While the Mayor’s Office is claiming success, everyday New Yorkers have yet to feel the benefits. According to a recent Marist poll, nearly 4 in 10 New Yorkers say they plan to move in the next five years, with 52% saying the quality of life has deteriorated in the last year.