NYPD HIRES MORE THAN 4,000 NEW OFFICERS IN 2025, LARGEST NUMBER IN A SINGLE YEAR IN RECORDED HISTORY

 

1,143 New Recruits Sworn in, Bringing the Total NYPD Headcount to More Than 34,700 

New York City Police Commissioner (NYPD) Jessica S. Tisch announced that the NYPD hired 4,056 new police officers this year, the largest number of new NYPD officers hired in a single year in recorded history. The department swore in 1,143 new recruits today, bringing the total NYPD headcount to more than 34,700, the highest it has been since May 2022. The new class of recruits reflects the rich diversity of New York City — nearly a quarter were born outside of the United States, representing 46 different countries, and they speak 34 different languages. 

“Once again, the NYPD made history today — hiring the largest number of officers in a single year since recordkeeping began more than 40 years ago,” said Commissioner Tisch. “This milestone does not happen by accident. It’s the direct result of a historic number of people answering the call to serve our city. From the day I took this job, I made it clear that our goal was to rebuild our headcount to ensure our department has the people, presence, and professionalism to meet its obligations — and today we are delivering on that promise.”  

"New Yorkers deserve to live in a safe, clean city, where their NYPD officers are accessible and an integral part of the community. We can only do that by investing in a strong and resilient workforce, which we are doing once again," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "This year, we hired 4,000 new police officers — the largest number of new NYPD officers hired in a single year — building on the many other records the Adams administration has broken to make New York safer. These brave men and women have helped to drive shootings to record lows, with the first 11 months of 2025 seeing the fewest number of shooting incidents and shooting victims in recorded history. We did this through a relentless focus on public safety and doubling down on strategies that work. And with the uniformed headcount at over 34,700 officers already, we are well on the way to surpassing our goal of 35,000 officers by next fall to make our city even safer, and are eager to add 5,000 additional police officers over the next three years. We welcome our new police officers, who put it all on the line to protect their fellow New Yorkers, and thank them for their commitment to this great city." 

This year, the NYPD hired four separate classes into the Police Academy, three of which had more than 1,000 recruits each. And despite the narrative to the contrary, the NYPD’s hiring outpaced attrition by more than 800 officers – with the hiring of 4,056 police officers compared to the approximately 3,228 who left the department.  

In February 2025, the NYPD announced a three-part plan to attract more candidates and modernize education requirements to address the hiring crisis. The department was one of the few remaining big-city municipal police forces in the country with a college credit requirement — which limited its ability to compete for applicants. So, in an effort to lower barriers to employment, the department reduced the required college credit minimum to enter the Police Academy from 60 credits to 24 credits. Additionally, a recent reassessment conducted by the National College Credit Recommendation Service determined that the completion of the six-month NYPD Police Academy recruit training program is equivalent to 45 college credits, an increase from the previous 36 credits. Graduates of the academy will now enter the NYPD with a minimum of 69 college credits. 

Following this expanded eligibility announcement, daily applications increased by almost 332%, from an average of 53.5 filings per day to 231.5 per day. During the most recent exam, that average skyrocketed 579%, with an average of 363 daily filers. There were more than 5,000 individuals registered to take the latest police exam in just 14 days. This massive increase reflects renewed interest among New Yorkers in serving the city. 

This announcement comes as the NYPD continues to drive crime down in New York City with eight straight quarters of major crime decline. For the first 11 months of 2025, New York City saw the fewest shooting incidents and shooting victims in recorded history. On our subways, overall transit crime is 14% below pre-pandemic levels. From July through November, the subway system experienced the safest five-month stretch in recorded history, excluding the pandemic years.