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The New York Police Department’s new class of recruits who graduated Dec. 29 display the multicultural and multi-ethnic force that law enforcement is trying to achieve in an effort to represent the changing face of the city’s population. The force has also marshaled the support of community leaders in a bid to increase understanding of different ethnicities and facilitate interaction between police officers and the local citizenry.
The 884 new NYPD police officers were born in 51 countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka as well as countries in the West Indies like Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago where a significant number of people of Indian origin live. While the ethnic breakup of the recruits was not provided by the NYPD, it revealed that that the recruits altogether speak some 59 languages including Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, as well as English and a host of other languages from Arabic to Russian, Chinese and Spanish.
The graduation ceremony was held at Madison Square Garden and including a memorial ceremony for the recently slain police officers in Brooklyn, both of whom belonged to minority communities. It was presided over by Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and Mayor Bill de Blasio whose popularity with the men in blue is at an all-time low after his comments regarding his biracial son.
The current graduating class completed six months of intensive Police Academy training and all its members will be paired with experienced Field Training Officers wherever they are deployed in the five boroughs. The first major citywide deployment for this class will be the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square.
“This is a proud day for our city, for our new officers and for their families,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio is quoted saying in a release from the NYPD. “These men and women have chosen an extraordinary path, and are now part of the finest police force in the world. And just as they are charged with protecting this city, we will protect them. They will have the best leadership, the best training and the best equipment. And with that support, we know they will write the next great success stories of the NYPD.”
Commissioner Bratton said he was proud to be a cop for the last 44 years. The term “cop” he said, “denotes the person that puts on the badge, puts on the blue uniform and goes into the streets to put their life at risk. So, it is a name of distinction; a name of honor.”
This graduating class has received “enriched diversity training” which the NYPD believes will enhance the relationship between the Department and the communities the officers will serve. Apart from being guided by seasoned Field Training Officers, the new recruits will work with community leaders “who will share their insight on important topics relevant to the neighborhoods the new officers are being tasked with keeping safe, while also working collaboratively with those they are protecting.”
Officers have received training on how to address the increase in drug overdose deaths, the use of Naloxone, a lifesaving drug to reverse opioid overdoses; skills in radio communications, as well as Port Awareness and Response training from the Counterterrorism Bureau. Recruits attended Leadership training workshops in decision making and the exercise of discretion, as well as training in courtroom testimony.
Over 58% of the graduating class resides in New York City; 10% have served in the United States Military; and 18% of the graduating class were born in a foreign country.
