The NYPD is making it easier to apply to the force by lowering its college credit requirement from 60 to 24. The department is also adding tougher fitness training to ensure new officers are prepared for the job.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced the changes this week, calling it a necessary step to address what she described as a hiring crisis.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it. The NYPD is in a hiring crisis," Tisch said. "We need more officers on the streets to keep our city safe."

The department says recruitment has declined in recent years, with nearly 2,300 applicants disqualified last year because they didn’t meet the education requirement. Now, thousands of potential candidates on the civil service list may become eligible.

Along with the lower education requirement, the NYPD is reinstating a timed 1.5-mile run for recruits, aiming to ensure officers are physically fit for the demands of the job.

Tisch also pointed to the “defund the police” movement and negative rhetoric about law enforcement as factors impacting recruitment. She says these changes will help rebuild the NYPD’s ranks while maintaining strong training standards.

The NYPD currently has about 33,000 officers, down from 37,000 in 2017. The department hopes the new rules will encourage more New Yorkers to consider a career in law enforcement.