The Lack of Professionalism within the NYPD's Applicant Processing Thesis

The Lack of Professionalism within the NYPD's Applicant Processing Division - Thesis Example The NYPD was established in the year 1845. However, it traces its roots as far back as 1625, when New York City was known as New Amsterdam (Wilson & Grammich, 2009). The NYPD is a combination of different forces which include Transit Police and New York City Housing Authority Police Departments the latter of the two being integrated into NYPD in 1995. The NYPD offers a number of services such as air support, criminal intelligence, public housing, narcotics among others. The mission of the department is to "enforce the laws, preserve the peace, reduce fear, and provide a safe environment." The department is made up of both sworn officers and support staff. The NYPD has been faced by many problems since its inception. There are many challenges that the department needs to overcome so as to live true to its mission. The department has a division known as the Recruit Processing Division. The recruit processing division is charged with the important task of determining who gets to join the NYPD. The task of recruiting for the NYPD does not reach the required standard and, there is need for an overhaul. This paper looks at the problems which affect the recruit processing department (RPD). The paper analyses the source of the problems and, their impact on policing. Finally the paper makes recommendations which, if implemented, would help in professionalizing the NYPD. I am grateful to Professor Jeffrey Katz and Suzanne Murphy, my Thesis advisors. I am indebted to them for the useful insights they gave while I was writing this work. Their input was useful in helping me to come up with the topic and also giving me guidelines on how to go about researching in such a difficult field. I am also grateful to my family who gave me useful insights on how I would improve my research and to cohort 117 for keeping me motivated. I appreciate those who read through my drafts and gave me tips on how I would improve my work. I am also very grateful to Manhattan College School of Continuing and Professional Studies for offering the resources which made the research for my thesis easier. Chapter One 1.0 Introduction The New York Applicant Processing Department (NYPD) is within the New York Police Department. The primary role of the division is getting candidates suitable for employment in the NYPD. This is a critical department since it sets the tone for policing