New York Police Academy held a graduation ceremony on May 6 at Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan, with a total of 616 officers, transit police, and members of the Employee Assistance Unit graduating to embark on their security duties. Compared to the number of graduates from the previous class before budget cuts, this year saw a slight decrease in the number of graduating officers, with the number of Asian officers dropping from 115 to 90.
Moving on from the statistics, Mayor Eric Adams delivered a speech in which he first displayed the American flag to the graduating officers, emphasizing the importance of treating emergency calls from the public, like dialing “911,” with the same level of loyalty as military personnel show to the flag. Adams pointed out that polls have shown only 18% of American youth aged 18 to 34 take immense pride in the United States.
Mayor Adams emphasized that the American flag is not just a symbol, but it represents American identity and serves as a reason why many young American soldiers are willing to sacrifice their lives in wartime. He urged the future officers to uphold the flag’s values regardless of what is said on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, ensuring that New York City has the safest streets and continues the legacy of the nation.
Police Commissioner Edward Caban stressed that the graduating officers bring hope to New Yorkers. He mentioned that the officers represent a variety of ethnicities and cultures, with 60% of them being residents of New York City. Caban highlighted the importance of reflecting the community they protect, as it is a crucial aspect of becoming better police officers.
In the previous graduation ceremony on December 29, 2023, 631 officers successfully graduated, with about 18% being Asian. This year, 616 officers graduated, with Asian officers accounting for approximately 15% of the total.
In an administrative budget proposal announced by Adams on April 24, it includes funding for the Police Academy to conduct two additional training courses this year, each training course adding 600 new officers expected to graduate in 2025. Combined with the existing courses, the New York Police Department is set to have an additional 2,400 officers this year.
Ching Wu, a 31-year-old rookie officer, is set to be assigned to the 17th Precinct in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Wu, whose parents are from Guangzhou, China, was born and raised in the US, fluent in both Cantonese and English. Wu expressed his childhood dream of becoming a police officer, admiring their role in protecting the community.
Wu shared his learnings from the past six months at the Police Academy, particularly honing skills in community protection and interacting with various ethnic groups, including building positive relations with the Chinese community.
Before joining the NYPD, Wu assisted his family in running a restaurant out of state, staying busy even during the pandemic. Feeling that the timing was right, he expressed his desire to become a police officer to his family.
Chen You Wu, 26 years old, was assigned to the NYPD Transit District 2 in the Canal Street area of Chinatown. Wu, coming from an immigrant family from Fuzhou, grew up in Long Beach, outside of predominantly Chinese neighborhoods, where community support was essential. Inspired by the challenges faced by the Asian community during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, Wu decided to pursue a career in law enforcement to serve society in his own way.
Wu explained that while most Chinese parents may desire their children to become doctors or engineers, his family fully supported his choice to join the police force.