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Judge blocks NYPD’s move to get rid of 31 officers it says should’ve never been hired
By
Ben Feuerherd
Published Jul 10, 2025
Modified Jul 11, 2025
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Nirian / Getty Images
By
Ben Feuerherd
Published Jul 10, 2025
Modified Jul 11, 2025
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The NYPD moved Thursday to purge its ranks of 31 police officers who it says were improperly hired in 2023 and 2024. But the union that represents officers said later that day that a judge had temporarily blocked the firings and forced resignations.
The department conducted an internal investigation and concluded the officers received what are known as final notices of disqualification during their application processes, according an NYPD spokesperson. Because the officers received those disqualifications, the NYPD was not legally allowed to hire them — and the department is now forced to end their employment, the spokesperson added.
The officers received the notices of disqualification for a host of infractions, including lying about criminal convictions, lying about previous arrests and having criminal summonses, according to the NYPD. The spokesperson said the problematic hirings came to light as a result of the internal investigation, but declined to say what led to the investigation.
The NYPD and Police Benevolent Association union are expected to appear in court Tuesday. In a statement after the judge's order, PBA President Patrick Hendry blamed the department’s hiring process for the officers potentially losing their jobs.
"We're grateful for the pause in these unjust firings, but this is only the first step," he said. "These police officers did nothing wrong. It is not their fault that their hiring was tainted by a rouge inspector and an arbitrary process."
He added that in many cases, the officers were "initially disqualified for minor issues and may have been hired on appeal if given the opportunity to do so." Many of the officers have served "with distinction" and some have received awards for their work, Hendry said.
John Nuthall, a spokesperson for the PBA, said earlier Thursday that the union was working on a court application to block the firings.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Tagged
new york city
nypd
public safety
Ben Feuerherd
Ben Feuerherd covers public safety and policing for WNYC and Gothamist. He previously covered federal courts for The New York Post and The Messenger. His work has also appeared in POLITICO, the Daily Beast and NBC New York. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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