Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly today presided over the swearing-in ceremony for 830 new probationary police officers who upon completion of their Police Academy training will graduate in the summer. The ceremony was held in the Colden Auditorium at Queens College in Flushing, Queens.

“Today, I have the honor and privilege of welcoming 830 brave men and women into the world’s best police department,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “We just completed the safest decade since New York City began keeping records, and I have no doubt that this group – which is as diverse as the communities they will serve – will help us continue to raise the bar.”

“Last year, we saw the fewest number of murders in more than half a century and the fewest shootings in more than 20 years,” Police Commissioner Kelly said. “Your fellow police officers have done all this in the midst of a very tough economy. We’re looking to build on these successes, and the members of this class are in a great position to help us do that.”

Nearly one-quarter of recruits in the January 2013 class were born overseas in 51 foreign countries outside of the United States, listed below. Approximately 43 percent of the class graduated college, including 16 with advanced degrees. Many members of the new class served the Department previously as Police Cadets (18) Traffic Enforcement (12) and School Safety Agents (12), and other civilian titles (11). More than 60 percent reside in New York City.

The average age of the 830 new recruits is 26. Thirty-eight of the recruits served in the U.S. military; 13 of them in Iraq or Afghanistan.

(YWN Desk – NYC)