Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
More NYPD Recruiting Trouble as Exam Takers Decline
By
Dave Hogarty
Published Feb 17, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Dave Hogarty
Published Feb 17, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The NYPD's recruiting woes appear to be continuing through 2008, with a sharp drop-off in the number of candidates applying to sit for the Police Officer Exam, which is the first step to qualifying to enter the Police Academy. According to the New York Post, the number of test takers is down 20% from number of people who took the exam at the same time last year. "Slightly fewer than 20,000 have applied for the Feb. 23 test, down from the roughly 25,000 who filed last year. In October 2004, more than 35,000 registered for the test."
The decline is not for lack of trying either. The NYPD has been casting its net far and wide in search of recruits. The department has started to hold exams in upstate cities like Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse, and has been recruiting at upstate colleges. To qualify to take the exam, one must have earned 60 college credits or completed two years of active military service.
Getting recruits and then shepherding them into the Academy is just the beginning of the department's problems. Of last year's class of 1,000, 14% of the recruits dropped out before becoming full-fledged police. Among the force at large, the New York Post reported in late 2006 that most cops don't seem to be aspiring to advance in the ranks, rather preferring to remain police officers. The number of eligible cops who are willing to take the sergeant's exam has been declining for years. Some observers feared that it indicated a lack of commitment to the job.
Tagged
Albany
exam
In October
new york
new york post
nypd
Police Academy
police officer
recruiting
retention
The NYPD
The Police
upstate
Dave Hogarty
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Plainclothes ICE agent with long gun looked like mass shooter, Mayor Mamdani says
The mayor said his administration would review ICE and NYPD actions surrounding Thursday’s shooting.
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published Oct 11, 2026 at 1:49 p.m. ET
NJ Transit riders face 5 weeks of schedule disruptions starting Sunday
NJ Transit and Amtrak riders should prepare for cancellations, schedule changes and longer commutes as work continues on the new Portal North Bridge.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
NJ Transit riders face 5 weeks of schedule disruptions starting Sunday
NJ Transit and Amtrak riders should prepare for cancellations, schedule changes and longer commutes as work continues on the new Portal North Bridge.
By
Giulia Heyward
For a Democrat in a traditionally red NJ district, how to woo Republican voters
By
Mike Hayes
2 pedestrians killed in Bronx crash after driver ran red light, police say
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Ann Givens
Rain could put a damper on NYC’s long weekend. Here’s when it will clear.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .