Applicants to the New York Police Department (NYPD) have dropped by nearly 55 percent, according to a new report from Breitbart.
The number of candidates has shrunk over the past eight years, per data from the Police Benevolent Association union. In 2017, the number of prospective officers was 18,000, but by 2023 applicants have decreased to 8,000.
A Brooklyn officer warned the New York Post that officers are encouraging people not to apply or take the job because they’ll “be worked to the bone, [be] attacked by perps and politicians, and hammered with nonsense complaints and ticky-tack discipline.”
A 2023 report found that the city’s officers are leaving the force primarily because of crime plaguing their communities. District Attorneys in the New York City area have made the job more difficult as they refuse to prosecute repeat offenders.
New York’s bail reform has also played a role in encountering repeat offenders as people who commit crimes end up being quickly released.
Mayor Eric Adams pledged in November to bring on 1,600 new police officers in 2025. A spokesperson for the Police Benevolent Association told the Post that the city has had trouble finding viable candidates.
Even if the city manages to get 800 Academy cadets — candidates who must meet a litany of requirements — the candidate pool will still be shallow when it comes to hiring a second class of 800 applicants by April.
Candidates are required to undergo a medical exam, take a written and oral psychological exam, undergo a background character investigation, and take a physical test to prove they are fit to perform the duties of a police officer.
As police officers dip in the city, New York City has seen an uptick in applications to carry guns, according to a report from the Gothamist.
