PANYNJ Welcomes Record Recruit Class
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's new class of 275 prospective police officers is the largest in the department's 86-year history.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that it welcomed 275 prospective police officers to its 113th Police Academy class on March 10, and that this is the largest recruit class in the department's 86-year history. PANYNJ will have deployed nearly 500 new police officers during the past year, once this class has graduated, a growth rate that helps the agency meet its goal of reducing overtime.
The new probationary officers have begun a 26-week program at the academy, which is located in the Port Authority Technical Center in Jersey City, N.J. The previous record class was in 2002, when 235 recruits were trained and the agency's security needs were increasing after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The training covers police procedures, evidence collection, and traditional police training, as well as specialized training in counter-terrorism, firefighting, and first aid, including using a defibrillators. This new class is comprised of 225 men and 50 women.
"The record number of officers entering our academy is a testament to the priority we place on providing a safe and secure environment for the traveling public," said Port Authority Chief Security Officer Joe Dunne. "Our recruits come from a variety of backgrounds and possess a wide array of skills that will help us provide the most secure environment for the millions of customers we serve."
Almost 1,600 members of the Port Authority Police Department currently serve, responsible for ensuring safety and security at four airports, four bridges, two tunnels, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the PATH rail system, the regional ports in New York and New Jersey, and the 16-acre World Trade Center site.