By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- New York City — NYPD swore in 1,143 recruits on Dec. 18, capping a record hiring year of 4,056 officers and pushing uniformed strength to 34,700+ — the highest since May 2022. Police1
- Pipeline shift: Lowered academy entry from 60 to 24 college credits, and Academy completion now counts for 45 credits (up from 36). Applications rose 332% (to 231.5/day; latest exam avg. 363/day). Police1
- Net staffing: Despite 3,228 departures in 2025, NYPD reports a net gain of 800+ officers after four recruit classes (three exceeded 1,000). Goal: 35,000 by next fall. Police1
- Crime context: City cites eight straight quarters of major crime decline and record-low shootings in the first 11 months of 2025; transit crime 14% below pre-pandemic levels. Police1
NEW YORK — The New York City Police Department closed out 2025 with its largest hiring year on record, swearing in 1,143 recruits on Wednesday and bringing total hires to 4,056 officers for the year, Commissioner Jessica S. Tischannounced. The ceremony lifts NYPD’s uniformed headcount to more than 34,700, with City Hall and the department targeting 35,000 by next fall. Police1
Commissioner Tisch credited changes made in February to widen the pipeline and speed hiring. The department reduced the college-credit requirement for academy entry from 60 to 24 credits, and had the National College Credit Recommendation Service raise the academy’s graduation value to 45 college credits (from 36). Officials say applications surged 332%, from an average 53.5/day to 231.5/day, and to 363/day during the most recent exam period. Police1
NYPD ran four academy classes in 2025—three topping 1,000 recruits—producing a net gain of 800+ officers even as 3,228 members left the force this year. Nearly a quarter of the new hires were born outside the U.S., representing 46 countries and 34 languages, the department said. Police1
Mayor Eric Adams tied the swell in staffing to public-safety metrics, pointing to eight consecutive quarters of citywide major-crime decreases and the fewest shootings and shooting victims on record through the first 11 months of 2025. Transit crime, he added, is 14% below pre-pandemic levels, and the subway saw its safest five-month stretch (July–November) on record outside the pandemic years. Police1
City officials said the momentum will continue into 2026 with monthly testing, targeted recruiting, and further academy cohorts, keeping a focus on language skills and prior military service to align with neighborhood policing and specialty unit needs. Police1