Slog - Comments on An SPD Reality Check http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check The Times and the PI have been following up on the piece I wrote a few weeks ago about SPD's staffing problems. The dailies have been trumpeting the department's supposed success of SPD's recent recruitment drive in New York, but things aren't going as well as SPD would have you believe. From the Times: SPD officials say they've received 750 applicants, including 163 of New York's finest, who will take the test April 19 at New York University. The turnout is unprecedented — so much so that the department actually had to quit taking applications, said Officer Monique Avery, who... Copyright 2008 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:39:55 -0800 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:56:57 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Bluneck
So is it 163 NY officers or 20?

Question: Are you comparing apples to apples? I don't doubt that "raw" recruits might pass at a fairly low rate, but I'd think that people who are already officers in NYC would have a much higher pass rate.

]]> Bluneck http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996189 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996189 News Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:51:52 -0800 Comment by LMSW Unless the pool of NYPD police throw off the acceptance ratio. If you are going to compare two populations, please include where the applicants were selected from and for what positions. Also of interest would be the relative pay packages for the SPD, NYPD and National averages for a comparable city.

]]> LMSW http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996192 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996192 News Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:53:50 -0800 Comment by wench I'd have to agree with @2. If we're comparing Joe-off-the-street with NYPD, I'd expect a higher ratio of hires from the NYPD pool.

]]> wench http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996204 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996204 News Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:03:39 -0800 Comment by Jonah s I believe the times says 163 of 750 were officers applying for transfers. That being said, having previous experience does not necessarily guarantee they'll be able to pass physicals, etc

]]> Jonah s http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996239 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996239 News Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:22:34 -0800 Comment by Reverse Polarity If they are wanting to leave NYPD to come join the SPD, that means they are unhappy where they are. If they like their job and they're good at it, one wonders why they want to move to Seattle. To me, 3 possibilities come to mind: (a) they don't like dirty huge NY, and want to move to hippy green Seattle, (b) they'll get paid more here (or their pay will go farther due to lower cost of living), or (c) they are incompetent or unqualified douchebags, and are trying to engineer a transfer before they get fired or furloughed from their current position.

So, no, I don't think that a bunch of disaffected NY cops is necessarily going to result in a higher pass rate than other potential pools.

]]> Reverse Polarity http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996305 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996305 News Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:04:55 -0800 Comment by oops Good point that experienced cops are more likely to pass and actually get hired.

@5 - the original articles explained that NYPD is laying off 1100 cops over the next year ... due to union rules those will be the newest hires so nothing to do with incompetence, etc.

@all - one last point not covered in the article.... for every 10 new graduates from academy 6 or 7 will not make it through the extended training and review periods

]]> oops http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996464 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996464 News Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:44:44 -0800 Comment by Fnarf NYPD has the worst starting pay for officers in the country, considering the cost of living there. Some state bureaucrat recently slashed it from around $40k to $25k -- an insulting wage in America's most expensive city, and more comparable to some backwoods hick town. New York's recruiting woes are unbelievable, much worse than ours.

Being a cop is dangerous, dirty, and disgusting work. You spend more time filling out paperwork and rousting bums who've just shit themselves and are about to vomit down the front of your shirt than you do glamor stuff. Good officers are heading to the 'burbs, where the worst on offer is Junior driving Dad's Beamer into a ditch.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996587 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996587 News Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:48:40 -0800 Comment by elenchos NY has more cops per capita than anybody. I have an analysis of this on my blog -- now with a workbook you can download! They also have a very low crime rate.

It's almost like the presence of police officers (even if they're low paid) has the effect of reducing crime. Who knew?

]]> elenchos http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996601 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/an_spd_reality_check#c996601 News Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:56:57 -0800