PANYNJ adds 71 new officers to Port Authority Police Department

    June 23, 2025
    The new officers underwent comprehensive training in New York and New Jersey state laws, police procedures, firearms usage, first aid and counterterrorism techniques. 
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    graduating police officers in dress blues stand up and throw their white gloves into the air during their ceremony
    PANYNJ says its recruitment efforts targeting qualified candidates brought in a broad spectrum of backgrounds.

    Seventy-one new officers are joining the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) following their graduation ceremony in New Jersey. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) says the 123rd class of officers benefit from one of the authority’s most intensive outreach programs to recruit candidates from diverse backgrounds.  

    The recruits received their official PAPD shields and identification at a ceremony held at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in Lower Manhattan earlier in the week. Among the graduating class are two officers whose father and grandfather responded to the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center.  

    “The Port Authority Police Department stands among the most respected law enforcement agencies in the country, charged with protecting some of America’s most vital infrastructure,” said PANYNJ Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “Their outstanding service and professionalism ensure that millions of people can travel safely and confidently across the region and beyond, and we welcome these 71 new recruits to this extraordinary force.” 

    PANYNJ Executive Director Rick Cotton added, “Ensuring the safety of both our travelers and employees is our highest priority, which is why we rely on an exceptional police force to carry out that mission. We proudly welcome these 71 new officers into the ranks of the PAPD and are especially proud of the extensive outreach effort to ensure a high-quality pool of recruits.” 

    The PANYNJ's recruitment effort targeting qualified candidates brought in a broad spectrum of backgrounds, including African American, Hispanic/Latino and Asian recruits. Additionally, the authority says the class brings a wealth of linguistic diversity with nine languages spoken, including Spanish, Korean, Bengali, Albanian, Turkish, Haitian Creole, Ukrainian and Chinese (including the Cantonese, Fujianese and Mandarin dialects) in addition to English. 

    A quarter of the class are women, the highest female representation of any PAPD class, according to PANYNJ. Almost half of the class enters the force with prior experience in law enforcement, and 13 percent are military veterans.  

    “These officers are stepping into service at a pivotal moment, when the threats we face are growing more complex, more widespread and more tech-savvy than ever before. From traditional risks to advanced cyberattacks, the challenges to our infrastructure are constant and evolving,” said PANYNJ Chief Security Officer Greg Ehrie. “These new members of the PAPD strengthen our ability to meet those challenges head-on and reinforce our commitment to keeping the public safe across every corner of our transportation network.” 

    The incoming class arrives six months after the PANYNJ's Board of Commissioners approved the 2025 budget, which included a record investment of more than $1 billion in safety and security operations. This funding is designed to enhance the agency’s overall security posture and support new initiatives to address both traditional and emerging threats, including cyber and terrorism-related risks.  

    PANYNJ says the PAPD academy is recognized as one of the most rigorous law enforcement training programs in the U.S., requiring 26 weeks of intensive instruction. Recruits underwent comprehensive training in New York and New Jersey state laws, police procedures, firearms usage, first aid and counterterrorism techniques.   

    “This department is charged with protecting hundreds of thousands of lives every single day, and our officers fulfill that duty with unmatched precision, unwavering professionalism and a deep sense of honor,” said PANYNJ Police Superintendent Edward Cetnar. “Graduating from the Port Authority Police Academy is no small accomplishment. It demands relentless discipline, unshakable resilience and exceptional strength of character. We welcome these new officers to the one of the most elite police departments in the nation.” 

    In addition to tactical preparedness, the academy emphasizes cultural sensitivity, ethical responsibility and historical awareness as core components of modern policing. As part of this effort, recruits participated in specialized sessions that included a meeting with Holocaust survivor Maud Dahme. PANYNJ says this training fosters empathy, strengthens community engagement and reinforces PAPD’s core values of justice and accountability.