Mayor Adams Announces Record 1,100 New Police Officers
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch last week announced the hiring of nearly 1,100 new police officers, marking the largest NYPD recruit class since January 2016.
The 1,093-person August class also sets a record for the Adams administration, surpassing the previous high of 1,045 recruits sworn in January 2025. With today’s class, the NYPD has hired 2,911 recruits so far this year — the most in nearly two decades — with another class planned later in 2025. Including officers already on the streets and in training, nearly 10,000 officers have joined the force under Adams.
The new recruits, sworn in Monday morning, will begin training at the Police Academy on Tuesday. They represent the city’s diversity and experience: members hail from 51 countries, speak 34 languages, and include 80 individuals with previous or current military service.
“Public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity, and today’s announcement shows we are investing in the future of both,” Adams said. “With nearly 1,100 new police recruits — the most in almost 10 years — beginning their training today thanks to expanded eligibility and modernized educational requirements we announced earlier this year, we are building a stronger and more modern NYPD that reflects the diversity, commitment, and determination of our city. These recruits will be part of the nearly 10,000 police officers who have stepped up to serve under our administration, helping us achieve historic reductions in crime and keeping our communities safe. Together, we are ending the culture of ‘anything goes,’ improving quality of life, and keeping New York City the safest big city in America and the best place to raise a family.”
“Today is a defining moment for the NYPD and for New York City — 1,093 new recruits are entering the police academy, the largest class in nearly a decade,” Tisch said. “The single most strategic thing the NYPD can do right now is hire more qualified officers. That’s why we were laser-focused on addressing our recruitment efforts and bringing in the next generation of officers. The momentum is changing, and thanks to Mayor Adams’ support, we will continue to attract the highest level of candidates to protect this city.”
The announcement highlights the Adams administration’s “End the Culture of Anything Goes” campaign, aimed at changing city culture, updating laws, and investing in programs to improve quality of life and reduce public disorder.
The FY 2026 Adopted Budget includes $3.4 billion for approximately 34,000 officers, funding four academy classes, with FY 2027 supporting a force of 35,000.
In February, Tisch announced a three-part plan to attract candidates and modernize education requirements. The minimum college credits to enter the Police Academy were reduced from 60 to 24, and a timed 1.5-mile run was reinstated as a fitness requirement. A recent reassessment found the six-month Police Academy training now equates to 45 college credits, meaning graduates will leave the academy with a minimum of 69 credits.
The changes contributed to a surge in applications: daily filings rose nearly 332 percent, from 53.5 to 231.5, and during the most recent exam, applications spiked 579 percent. Over 5,000 individuals registered for the exam in just two weeks.
The Adams administration credits its public safety investments with historic crime reductions. From January through July 2025, the city recorded the lowest number of shooting incidents and victims in history, driving a 5.6 percent drop in major crimes in July compared with the previous year and an overall 5 percent decline in index crimes year-to-date. So far in 2025, 3,605 fewer New Yorkers have been victims of crime compared with the same period in 2024. The administration also reports removing more than 23,200 illegal guns from city streets since Adams took office.
Adams has also launched a $500 million blueprint to combat gun violence, increased police presence in subways, cracked down on auto and retail theft, added mental health clinicians for those with severe mental illness, piloted new subway technology, and expanded the Saturday Night Lights youth program.
Earlier this week, the NYPD’s Quality of Life Division, launched in April, was expanded to all five boroughs. The unit addresses chronic quality-of-life issues and strengthens community trust, with plans to extend into city housing developments next month.
Through these combined efforts, the Adams administration continues to focus on safer streets, stronger communities, and a modernized police force prepared to meet the challenges of 21st-century New York.
Applicants interested in joining the NYPD can learn more and apply at the department’s recruitment website.
