Mayor Adams looking at dropping NYPD college credit requirement

Mayor Adams opened the door Friday to scrapping a city rule requiring NYPD officer applicants to have earned college credits.

Adams, himself a retired NYPD captain, entertained the idea after a closed-door meeting with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, whose administration recently scrapped a similar requirement for the Windy City’s police department.

“I like what the mayor is doing in the recruitment. We’re hearing all over the country that there is a requirement problem with police officers,” Adams said during a joint press conference with Lightfoot at Chicago City Hall after their sit-down. “There were historical barriers that were preventing people from using life experiences to waives. We’re going to look to duplicate that in New York City.”

Under current protocols, NYPD officer applicants must’ve earned at least 60 credits from an accredited institution while maintaining a minimum 2.0 GPA.

The Chicago Police Department dropped its 60 college credit application requirement last week amid an ongoing struggle to attract new recruits.

Under the new policy, Chicago Police Department applicants without college credits must have at least three years of professional experience in health care, education, social services or certain trade industries, or prior work in the security, correctional or law enforcement fields.

Adams, whose Chicago visit came after he traveled to Washington, D.C. earlier this week to meet with Mayor Muriel Bowser, said it’s critical for him to engage with his counterparts in other major U.S. cities.

“This is an entryway to learn from each other,” he said.

Lightfoot, whose city, like New York, has seen a spike in gun violence during the pandemic, echoed Adams’ sentiment.

“I know we’re going to be great partners,” she said.