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Q&A
NYPD staffing shortages, overtime costs, and recruitment strategies
4:02:29
·
105 sec
Comptroller Brad Lander discusses NYPD staffing shortages, their impact on overtime costs, and potential strategies to improve recruitment. Council Member Gale A. Brewer adds information about recent changes in recruitment practices.
- NYPD is currently about 1,500 officers below budgeted headcount, which could increase to 2,000-3,000 by year-end due to retirements
- Lower headcount leads to increased overtime spending
- The NYPD commissioner has changed academic credentials for applicants, which has increased applications
- Lander suggests expanding the NYPD cadet program to high school graduates as a potential recruitment strategy
- The discussion emphasizes the benefits of college education for police officers in terms of maturity and job performance
Brad Lander
4:02:29
I mean, on NYPD in particular, we're about 1,500 officers below budgeted head count, 35,000 head count, 33,000.
4:02:38
That number is going down because in 02/2005 there was a very big NYPD recruitment class.
4:02:43
Those folks are hitting their 20, and so I suspect that by the end of this year that number could be 2,000, even 3,000 officers.
4:02:51
And obviously, the more you are below budgeted headcount, the more you wind up spending on
Gale A. Brewer
4:02:56
The commissioner has changed the academic credentials needed, and that thinks she thinks that'll help.
4:03:02
Apparently, it really jumped up the applications.
4:03:04
Good or bad, I don't know.
4:03:05
But it helps with recruitment.
4:03:07
I don't know if it helps with intelligence.
Brad Lander
4:03:09
One thing that I've, was suggested to me by the prior chief of department, Ken Corey, was to look at expanding the NYPD cadet program.
4:03:19
That program is great, but you have to right now already have 45 credits.
4:03:24
So if you're a person who's got 45 college credits, you can apply for the NYPD cadet program, become a cadet, They'll start paying a good share of your tuition while you work your way towards your BA.
4:03:37
He's recommended opening it up to kids out of high school so you don't have to have any college credits, that you could enroll in the cadet program, become a cadet.
4:03:45
They could pay the city could pay your tuition until you get your associate's, and then you take the test and come on to the force in a more streamlined way.
4:03:55
And that, I think, would address I mean, obviously for a while they would be cadets and not officers, but would really help with recruitment.
4:04:04
But it has been shown over and over again that officers who do get some college education, you know, college degree like anybody else just, you know, mature and benefit from it.
4:04:13
Thank
Gale A. Brewer
4:04:14
you.