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Q&A
Discussion on police cadet recruitment efforts and opportunities
2:45:40
ยท
3 min
Council Member Stevens, drawing from her past experience as a police cadet, inquires about current recruitment efforts for the cadet program. NYPD officials provide information on the program's status and recruitment strategies.
- Stevens emphasizes the benefits of the cadet program, including paid internships and flexible schedules for college students
- Chief of Personnel John Benoit reveals that 483 candidates are currently being processed for the cadet program
- Recruitment efforts include visits to schools citywide, with a focus on institutions like John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- Stevens suggests collaboration between the NYPD and City Council members to enhance recruitment efforts, particularly targeting high school and college students
- Commissioner Tisch expresses enthusiasm for working with City Council members on recruitment to ensure police diversity reflects the city's population
Althea Stevens
2:45:40
And I just wanted to make another comment because I know we've been talking a lot about recruitment.
2:45:46
Most people don't know I used to be a police cadet and I remember when I was a police cadet a lot of years ago, there was a significant effort to do recruitment and it made sense.
2:46:00
I mean obviously I didn't become a police officer, but my best friend did who just retired last in July, so clearly we made wrong decisions, but I'm trying to understand she's retired, fully retired, it's amazing, 40 years old, it's crazy.
2:46:15
Anyway, but I'm trying to get an understanding what does recruitment look like for programs like the cadet because I do think that it was super beneficial for me while I was in college to be able to be a police cadet and get get paid.
2:46:28
It was a paid internship, have a very flexible schedule, and also know that there was a lot of people who benefited from that and then transitioned into the NYPD from that program.
Jessica Tisch
2:46:37
Absolutely.
2:46:38
Our chief of personnel, Chief Benoit, I'll answer your question.
John Benoit
2:46:41
Hi, good afternoon.
2:46:43
John Benoit, chief of personnel.
2:46:45
I was a cadet too
Althea Stevens
2:46:46
Oh, look at that.
John Benoit
2:46:46
From 1990 to 1992.
2:46:49
We're I
Jonathan Darche
2:46:49
was little old.
Althea Stevens
2:46:50
Was 1999 to February.
John Benoit
2:46:52
And and I do agree there was a very big push back in those days, but I wanna report to you that we have we're processing 483
Althea Stevens
2:47:01
Okay.
John Benoit
2:47:02
Candidates to be police cadets right now.
Althea Stevens
2:47:04
And what does your recruitment process look like currently?
John Benoit
2:47:07
For the cadets?
2:47:07
The the Yeah.
2:47:08
You talking about the recruitment process?
Althea Stevens
2:47:10
Yeah.
2:47:10
How are you guys recruiting?
2:47:11
Because I don't see it as like, used to see it all the time and I don't see it as much as I used to.
John Benoit
2:47:16
So we we we visit all of the schools citywide.
2:47:20
One of our biggest schools that we get a a big bang for the buck is John Jay, the College of Criminal But we visit all the community colleges, similar in the manner in which we would recruit police officers.
Althea Stevens
2:47:32
Yeah.
2:47:33
I would love to also talk to you guys more about that because I do think that it is not just an anomaly in NYPD of not being able to hire people.
2:47:40
Every agency that I've been sitting in oversight hearings are having the same issues.
2:47:43
We have the same issue on corrections.
2:47:45
One, I think that we should be working together in partnership because council members, it's 51 of us, we all have events all the times, we're a pulse in the ground and people are always reaching out to us for jobs, but then also two, I think that it's important for us to think about how are we training young people to be a part of it and I think especially high school students coming out of high school, going into college, staying in a city, it's an amazing opportunity, and they're also struggling with employment.
2:48:08
So I would love to this is another thing that I would love for us to continue to talk about and think about how do we continue to build that out so that more people know about this opportunity.
Jessica Tisch
2:48:16
Thank you.
2:48:16
We will definitely take you up on that.
2:48:19
We all believe well, given the it is important that the police reflect the diversity of the city that they serve.
2:48:30
And given all of the hiring that we are setting out to do both at the rank of police officer and cadet, it would be wonderful to work with all members of the city council on our recruitment efforts.
2:48:46
Those are all led by our chief of personnel, so his office will be reaching out to you to follow-up on that.
2:48:54
Appreciate the offer.
Althea Stevens
2:48:55
No problem.
2:48:56
Thank you so much.
2:48:56
Thank you chair.