NEW YORK—A total of 1,147 new police officers graduated from the Police Academy Monday after completing over half a year of intensive training. The ceremony, presided over by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, was held at Madison Square Garden.
Sixteen percent of the graduates were born outside the United States.
“This recruit class is a true reflection of New York City,” said Kelly. “They come from 53 countries and speak 48 languages.”
Dennis Maxim, who got the highest overall average in the class, received the Mayor’s Award.
After graduation, these new police officers will be paired with experienced supervisors and deployed to targeted high-crime areas under Operation Impact, a New York state Division of Criminal Justice Services initiative to fight crime and reduce violence.
“Over these past nine years, we’ve reduced crime by more than 35 percent,” said Bloomberg. “We’re on track to record the third-lowest number of homicides in our city ever this year.”
