Criminals wound up working as officers for the New York City Police Department after the commander overseeing recruitment ignored their checkered past, according to court filings.
Up to 31 unfit officers were allowed to serve as cops due to ‘unauthorized unilateral actions’ by former commanding officer NYPD Inspector Terrell Anderson, the complaint states.
The recruits were allowed in despite failing psychological tests and background checks and in multiple cases, criminal records, according to the document.
One aspiring officer was even found to have three arrests to their name, but was recruited anyway, the filing states.
Offenses included everything from drug use to prostitution, and a number of driving violations, per the New York Post.
However they were allowed to serve after being granted admission by Anderson, according to the filings, which state he did not have the authority to keep them on the force.
And in a stunning twist, many of the officers remain employed and cannot be sacked after the NYPD Police Benevolent Association filed a restraining order to temporarily halt the city’s actions, keeping them on the payroll.
‘His actions, therefore, were a nullity,’ the city said.
Dozens of newly hired NYPD officers were employed by the force unlawfully after they were found to have a history of arrests, according to court filings
NYPD Inspector Terrell Anderson allegedly allowed to serve as cops due to ‘unauthorized unilateral actions’ he made despite many of them being previously disqualified from the force
Anderson was reassigned following the scandal and is now facing departmental charges, law enforcement sources told the Post.
The court filing singled out one rookie cop who was permitted into the NYPD academy, despite having never been employed in any capacity before.
That cop, who was not named, was found to have an ‘extensive history of poor decision-making and recklessness’, but was allowed to serve anyway by Anderson, the filings said.
That history with the law included multiple driving convictions for speeding at upwards of 50mph over the speed limit, and an arrest for driving with eight suspensions on his license.
The officer was also found to have struck a pedestrian with his car on another occasion.
A different officer also reported a number of serious driving offenses including involvement in eight car crashes and driving with a suspended license, alongside multiple arrests for marijuana.
That officer slipped through the net because he ‘exploited his father’s status as an NYPD detective in order to circumvent personal responsibility’, according to his reported disqualification notice.
Another officer who was allowed into the NYPD had ‘reported using LSD and marijuana to cope with stress’, the filing said.
One of the cops was also found to have allegedly paid a stripper for sexual intercourse in 2017, and then the next year paid a female masseuse to masturbate him, the filings said.
Among the offenses of the dozens of officers included drug use, prostitution, and a number of driving violations
The acceptance of the rogue cops comes as NYPD recruitment numbers have struggled in recent years, with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch (pictured) deciding to relax some qualifications in the academy earlier this year in an attempt to beef up numbers
One female officer failed a psychological examination after she ‘openly discussed arguments and conflicts with other people in a boastful manner.’
She reportedly told a psychiatrist that ‘what you do to me I’m going to do to you twice and I hope you feel worse than the way you made me feel’, but was still allowed in per the filing.
Anderson was in charge of screening the candidates as the NYPD’s chief of Candidate Assessment Division, but was promptly moved to the housing unit when the scandal was discovered in May.
He alleged that NYPD top brass pushed him to keep non-qualified officers in the academy.
Anderson’s defenders have pointed out that NYPD recruitment numbers have struggled in recent years.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch previously decided to relax some qualifications in the academy earlier this year in an attempt to beef up numbers.
NYPD Capt. Chris Monahan, president of the Captain’s Endowment Association, told the New York Post that Anderson was. ‘under tremendous pressure to fill NYPD recruit classes.’
‘He had a careful review process and didn’t place candidates with diagnosed mental health issues in many classes,’ he said. ‘Inspector Anderson had the authority under previous administrations to hire candidates.’
Despite some of the cops’ lengthy rap sheets, the city’s move to fire them was halted after the NYPD Police Benevolent Association filed a restraining order to temporarily halt the city’s actions
Despite some of the cops’ lengthy rap sheets, the city’s move to fire them was halted after the NYPD Police Benevolent Association filed a restraining order to temporarily halt the city’s actions.
A judge then granted an extension for 60 days.
Explaining the move to defend the officers, NYPD Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said: ‘These are 31 police officers’ lives — their livelihood.’
(The judge) understands they have families, bills, rent,’ he continued. ‘They were just told, ‘You’re not entitled to any process. You’re fired, 24 hours. That is wrong. The entire method — how it was done — is wrong.
‘They were deemed qualified New York City police officers. They were called back. They completed what they were asked to complete… These police officers were deemed qualified by the NYPD.’
