Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch revealed on Wednesday that their revamped efforts to hire more officers amid the NYPD’s staffing crisis are bearing fruit. The department’s headcount is expected to reach 35,000 by the fall of 2026.
In February, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced that she would be lowering college credit requirements to become a cop, saying, “The NYPD is in a hiring crisis.” The main crux of Tisch’s strategy was immediately lowering the number of college credits needed to become an officer from 60 to 24; that impacts more than 5,000 candidates on 29 active civil service lists who were previously ineligible to join the NYPD.
Additionally, the NYPD also boosted the number of college credits officers would receive upon graduating from the academy to 69, giving each of them the equivalent of an associate’s degree.
On Wednesday, Mayor Adams said these changes had a major impact. Of the 5,000 previously ineligible officer candidates on 29 active civil services lists who were reportedly contacted, more than 4,000 expressed interest in reopening their cases. Of that group, more than 1,300 have reported to the NYPD’s Candidate Assessment Unit to take additional steps in the hiring process.
As a result, the NYPD has seen daily applications increase by almost 45 percent, from an average of 56 to 81 applications per day.
According to City Hall sources, over 1,172 individuals have filed to take the next police exam in the last month, while over 9,700 new applicants have applied since the college credits change was announced in February.
“The results have been astounding – with daily applications up 45%, it’s clear New Yorkers are eager to join the NYPD,” Mayor Adams said. “Combined with continued funding, we’re proud to announce that New York City is on the path to having 35,000 uniform members of the NYPD by fall of 2026. Congratulations to all of the officers sworn in today, and on behalf of 8.5 million New Yorkers, thank you for choosing to serve.”
On Wednesday, Hizzoner visited the Police Academy in Queens, where he joined Commissioner Tisch in swearing in a news class of recruits: 673 new cops who will join 200 probationary officers who were sworn in between July 2024 and January 2025. The city said 600 recruits have already graduated, another 600 will graduate in early May 2025, and 1,000 more will remain in training.
The boost in NYPD manpower cannot come soon enough. Several cops who spoke to amNewYork earlier this month said that the department is being stretched to its limit. They reported that they are being forced to do more with less while arguing that hiring is not the only issue; they are also facing a retention problem.
Police Benevolent Association (PBA) President Patrick Hendry argued that NYPD officers are forced to stay on the job longer to get their full pension, something that could be remedied with the passing of a new bill that he believes would help keep cops on the job longer.
Nevertheless, Tisch celebrated the additional recruits Wednesday, believing this marks a bold step forward for the NYPD resolving the staffing crisis.
“This new recruit class reflects the surge in interest we’ve seen to join the police force since expanding eligibility,” Tisch said. “We’re not just growing the NYPD — we’re making sure the department has the people it needs to meet this moment. By modernizing our standards and opening more doors, we’re giving thousands of New Yorkers a real opportunity to serve.”
