More than 2,100 police officers have retired or left the New York Police Department this year, outpacing the 1,535 who left during the first six months of 2020, the New York Post reported.
Amid unprecedented departures amid rising crime rates and bail reform, the NYPD has dramatically relaxed fitness requirements.
The police department substituted a faux 6-foot wall inside the Police Academy gym with a chain-link fence that’s easier to climb, according to official recruiting videos posted online, The Post reported.
The “Barrier Surmount” is one of six tasks comprising a physical exam known as the “Job Standard Test” that prospective cops have to pass before beginning six months of training at the academy in Flushing, Queens.
The time limit for completing the task has been extended by a minute to boost the passing rate.
The NYPD is considering scrapping a rule that required recruits to run 1.5 miles in 14:21 or less to graduate from the academy, The Post reported.
"It's really not hard. If you can't pass the basic requirements for being a police officer, you shouldn’t be one," a veteran cop told The Post.
Last year, a total of 3,152 officers left the NYPD, with 553 members resigning and 2,599 retiring, Fox5 New York reported.
Detectives Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo attributed the exodus to New York's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, bail reform laws, and a lack of support from politicians.
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