New Cops Say Extra Wait Was Worth It

The Chief-Leader/Michel Friang MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME: A class of 274 new cops that Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly called 'among the best-educated and most-diverse classes of recruits ever to take the oath' was inducted into the NYPD July 14, six days later than they would have entered the Police Academy if the deadlock in the State Senate had not prompted a brief city hiring freeze.

Rafael Garcia always longed to be an NYPD officer. Despite scoring well on an entrance exam in June of 2005, he was not immediately called—just like 10,000 other people who have passed the test in the last five years. He took a job as a cop in the Virgin Islands to tide himself over, but the NYPD was where he always aspired to be.

Mr. Garcia was relieved recently to find out he made the July 2009 Police Academy class, particularly because his civil service list was set to expire in December, before another class would be inducted. Then, the phone call came.

Sidetracked By Senate Circus

As the State Senate sat in a deadlock because of a 31-31 Republican- Democratic tie, Mr. Garcia received a call that his class would be postponed because a city sales-tax increase— worth $60 million a month to the city—failed to pass.

"I was hopeful and praying that the Senators would work out their differences," Mr. Garcia said.

On July 10, two days after the class was initially scheduled to start, Mayor Bloomberg rescinded the hiring freeze after a reconstituted Senate majority produced approval of the sales-tax hike, which allowed for the induction of Mr. Garcia and 273 other recruits July 14 in a new Police Academy class.

"In the end, the Senate did the right thing and came back to work," Mr. Bloomberg said during a press conference before the swearing-in ceremony.

Mr. Bloomberg praised State Sen. Diane Savino in particular for sticking up for the city after he spent much of the last several weeks bashing the Senate. She "stood up and said, 'Look, if we are going to have more police officers and keep this city safe, somebody has got to pay for it,' and that's exactly the kind of responsible legislator we need," he said.

A Continuing Success Story

In a subsequent speech to the recruits at Police Headquarters, he spoke of the fruits of responsibility to the city. "You are joining an organization that has continued to drive crime lower at home while keeping us safe from threats around the globe. Your class is the most-diverse class on record. You truly reflect the composition of the city you will serve, and that will help us continue driving down crime, and continue strengthening police community relations."

The July 2009 Police Academy class is 58 percent minority, the most-diverse ever, consisting of recruits who were born in 22 countries. Twentytwo of them served with the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. The class also includes 112 recruits who began their careers with the Police Cadet Corps and 145 who hold advanced degrees, including six recruits with master's degrees and one with a law degree.

Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly told his newest employees, "Today you join the finest police force in the world and begin a career that will directly help improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers. You can count on the support of this department, your fellow officers and the city as you complete your formal academy training and join the ranks this coming December."

The best-educated of the bunch was Jaclyn Keane, who left a Brooklyn law firm to follow in her father's footsteps and join the NYPD. "I gave up the law to enforce the law," she said after the ceremony. Her parents had urged her to get the law degree first and then turn to the NYPD if she still wanted to be a Police Officer.

She said she understood the Mayor's brief hiring freeze, which stalled her dreams a week. "I was upset, but this is a recession," she said. For its part, the city had the forethought to call Ms. Keane and the other recruits to warn them not to quit their jobs too soon because of the possible cancellation of the class.

"Even in tough fiscal times, we must ensure that the NYPD has the resources it needs to keep our streets and our neighborhoods safe," said Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. "Today's recruits will soon take part in the day-to-day operations of New York's Finest, doing a job that most people can't even imagine."

Mr. Kelly said the class would likely finish at the same time as usual because of a compressed schedule. "Thank you for waiting a few days," he said. "In my opinion you have made a great decision. You are now part of an exclusive club. Now that you have taken this oath, this responsibility is yours."