Lieutenant Jose Caraballo, a familiar figure at the NYPD Police Academy, retired on Friday after a 20-year career with the department. During his seven years as a platoon commander, Caraballo guided more than 20,000 recruits through their training, fostering a sense of family and leadership.
Caraballo often described his approach to training as treating recruits like his own children. He spent the majority of his career as a patrolman in the Bronx and Harlem before moving into his role at the academy. He aimed to provide recruits with a memorable experience, emphasizing leadership by example. "Every push-up I ask them to do, I do with them," Caraballo stated, highlighting his willingness to participate in the physical challenges alongside the cadets.
He also incorporated lessons from his time on patrol, sharing stories to impart practical knowledge and inspire the new officers. Caraballo frequently recounted the stories of fallen officers, including Wilburt Mora and Jason Rivera, who were killed in the line of duty in 2022. He used these narratives, particularly Rivera's dedication to meeting physical standards, to motivate recruits who faced personal challenges.
"He joined a run club to make sure that he was able to pass the standard to become a police officer," Caraballo recalled of Rivera. "So I use his story to motivate a lot of young men and women who may not be in the best shape to say, ‘Hey, this guy identified that he had an issue and went above and beyond to change it.’" This approach resonated with recruits, with one individual losing 58 pounds after being inspired by such stories.
Caraballo's own path to law enforcement began after he attended John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He found the academic study less engaging than he expected and subsequently joined the NYPD Police Cadet Corps. He felt an immediate connection to the familial atmosphere within the department.
During recruit training, Caraballo enforced department regulations, sometimes issuing push-ups for minor uniform infractions. He framed these exercises not as punishments but as "privileges," encouraging recruits to maintain high standards. The six-month academy training included classroom instruction on police science, departmental rules, and de-escalation techniques, with Caraballo often contributing his field experience.
Caraballo expressed a deep concern for the safety of the recruits, stating, "I don’t want to see them get hurt. I’ve been to too many funerals. They need to stay true to everything that they learn because those are the things that are going to keep them safe.” His retirement marks the end of a significant chapter in the training of new NYPD officers.