VIDEO: Port Authority Beefs Up Its Police Force In NJ, NY

NEW JERSEY — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey recently added more than 100 new officers to its police force as the agency continues to “reinforce its security priorities” in the new year.

The new police officers got a warm welcome at a cadet graduation ceremony on Friday (see video below).

The Port Authority’s police academy requires 26 weeks of training and study in New York and New Jersey laws, alongside comprehensive instruction in police procedures, firearms usage, first aid and counterterrorism techniques.

More than 41 percent of the new recruits are joining the agency with prior experience in law enforcement, and 11 percent have military experience, Port Authority officials said.

Both wings of the bi-state agency are well-represented in the new class, with 54 percent of the recruits coming from New Jersey and 46 percent from New York.

“The safety and security of travelers using our facilities and of our employees is our top priority, so it is vitally important that we have the best of the best serving the public on our police force,” Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said.

The incoming class joins the agency just weeks after the Port Authority’s Board of Commissioners approved the agency’s 2024 budget, which included a record investment in the agency’s safety and security operations totaling nearly $1 billion.

• See Related: Port Authority Approves $1 Billion Budget Hike In NJ, NY

The incoming class bolsters the total PAPD workforce of more than 2,000 members, who are tasked with securing some of the nation’s busiest infrastructure facilities and transportation hubs.

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