Thirty NYPD officers who were originally set to be fired from duty after it was discovered that their applications had been altered will be allowed to keep their jobs after all, amNewYork has learned.
According to law enforcement sources, the NYPD reached a settlement that will allow the impacted officers to remain in uniform. The deal will require the officers to serve an additional 12 months of probation on top of the standard 24 months that all officers are required to complete — 36 months, or three years, in total.
The time the officers served on restricted duty will not be counted toward this probationary time.
Sources with knowledge of the deal say that police brass and the union support the compromise made, which will keep the officers working.
“I’m appreciative that we have found a path forward for these officers to protect and serve our city,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch in a statement. “As the NYPD closes out the single largest hiring year on record, our department remains laser-focused on continuing to drive crime down and delivering on historic public safety gains.”
This comes after a back-and-forth between the department and the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), a police union, after some 30 cops were set to be kicked to the curb due to discrepancies in psychiatric evaluations, and hidden criminal records on altered applications.
Sources reported that the disqualified officers managed to enter and complete the police academy because their application records were allegedly altered under the supervision of an inspector who has since been removed. As a result, they were able to graduate despite being initially disqualified. The officers embroiled in the controversy were placed on desk duty.
While police initially expressed concern about the officers’ character, the PBA argued that some of the officers had already devoted time to protecting the city for over a year. Now, both sides say they were able to come to a compromise.
“We are grateful to have reached a resolution that allows these police officers to continue their careers,” said PBA President Patrick Hendry. “They have already proven their dedication and value on the job, and we are glad they will get the opportunity to keep protecting our city.”
