The New York City Council has passed a bill that would raise the maximum age for prospective NYPD recruits, a move intended to address staffing shortages within the department. The legislation, introduced by Council Member Amanda Farias, increases the maximum age for civil service exams from 35 to 43.
Under the new bill, veterans would be eligible to join the force until the age of 48. This proposal now heads to Mayor Zohran Mamdani's desk for his signature.
Councilwoman Joann Ariola, a co-sponsor of the bill, described the situation as "desperate," stating that the city has made being a police officer too difficult, leading to a decline in applications. "If we want to keep our precincts staffed, we need to resort to desperate measures," Ariola said. She added that until the prevailing "anti-cop atmosphere" changes, such measures are necessary to attract new recruits.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has expressed support for the bill, although she did not explicitly call for the age increase. The NYPD has previously implemented other recruitment strategies, such as reducing college credit requirements to 24 credits, expanding the number of police officer examinations, and making them free to take. According to Farias, these efforts have led to a fivefold increase in examination filers over the past year. She noted that Intro 913A aims to capture otherwise qualified individuals who were previously excluded by age limits.
It remains unclear whether Mayor Mamdani will sign the proposed bill into law.