Approximately 31 NYPD officers were abruptly informed on Thursday that they must resign within 24 hours due to disqualifications that allegedly should have prevented their hiring in the first place, according to police sources.
Department insiders said the officers were blindsided on July 10 when they were given just one day to step down—even though some had been on the force for more than 18 months.
According to sources with direct knowledge of the situation, the NYPD maintains that these individuals had been disqualified during the application process and were issued what the department considers a legally binding notice deeming them ineligible for employment. The department argues that retaining them would violate state law and internal hiring standards.
“Following an internal investigation, the NYPD recently identified officers who joined the department in the past two years despite receiving final notices of disqualification during the application process, which is a violation of the law,” an NYPD spokesperson said in a statement. “The department was not legally allowed to hire these individuals and was forced to inform them that they could no longer continue as members of the NYPD.”
Sources said the disqualified officers managed to enter and complete the police academy because application records were allegedly altered under the supervision of a now-removed inspector. As a result, they were able to graduate despite initial disqualifications.
One police source said the individuals being asked to resign or face termination include people the public “would not want in uniform,” alleging that some had lied about past criminal convictions, arrests, and job terminations. Others reportedly had multiple arrests, criminal summonses, or suspended licenses due to serious traffic violations.
The development comes at a time when the NYPD is grappling with a severe recruitment and retention crisis. In response to staffing shortages, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch recently lowered the college credit requirements to become an officer.
The Police Benevolent Association (PBA), which represents rank-and-file officers, is pushing back against the department’s decision, arguing that the officers should not be penalized for internal failures in the hiring process.
“These police officers aren’t responsible for the NYPD’s broken hiring process or the supervisors who made these decisions, in some cases more than a year-and-a-half ago,” said PBA President Patrick Hendry. “As far as they know, they were qualified to be New York City police officers, because the NYPD hired and trained them. It is an absolute travesty that the department is trying to cover its tracks by summarily forcing them off the job, without affording them the same appeal process available to other applicants.”
Hendry said the PBA is exploring legal options to protect the affected officers and hold the department accountable. Later on Thursday the union filed a legal motion, which a judge granted to temporarily halt the firings. The PBA say they will appear in court on July 15 to argue the case when a verdict will be rendered.
“We grateful for the pause in these unjust firings, but this is only the first step. These police officers did nothing wrong. It is not their fault that their hiring was tainted by a rogue inspector and arbitrary process. In many cases, they were initially disqualified for minor issues and may have been hired on appeal if given the opportunity to do so. Many of these police officers have served with distinction. some have even received awards for their work protecting their communities. All we are asking for is the fair process they were denied, so they can continue to show who they truly are. These dedicated officers have already proven their value. They must be treated like the professionals they are,” Hendry added.