NEW YORK — A state Supreme Court judge has temporarily halted the New York Police Department’s dismissal of more than 30 officers and recruits after their union challenged the decision, saying the officers were unfairly targeted over hiring irregularities, PIX 11 reported.
The officers were informed they would be forced to resign or be fired due to disqualifying offenses identified during an internal review, according to the report. The NYPD said it determined the department had violated state law by hiring individuals who had previously received final notices of disqualification during the application process.
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In a statement Thursday, the NYPD said, “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.”
Police sources told PIX11 that the disqualifications stemmed from a range of issues, including undisclosed criminal convictions, job terminations and suspended driver’s licenses.
The Police Benevolent Association (PBA) disputed the NYPD’s account, arguing that many of the disqualifications involved minor or appealable issues, and that the recruits were cleared to serve by a former NYPD inspector who overrode psychological evaluation failures. That inspector, Terrell Anderson, has since been reassigned, and the department is reviewing all overrides he approved.
“These police officers did nothing wrong,” said PBA President Patrick Hendry. “It is not their fault that their hiring was tainted by a rogue inspector and arbitrary process. … 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.”
The disputed officers are part of a larger group of approximately 80 recruits who had not passed psychological evaluations but were hired anyway. The internal review that triggered the dismissals began after Anderson’s transfer and is now under legal scrutiny.
The NYPD and PBA are scheduled to appear before a judge on July 15 to determine next steps. In the meantime, the court’s temporary injunction blocks any terminations.
