Mayor Adams: Canceled April NYPD academy class back on

April’s canceled NYPD academy class will be held after all, Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday, crediting higher-than-expected tax revenue and cuts to migrant services. 

The class of 600 new recruits is expected to graduate in October, according to a news release from Adams' office. The savings from academy class cancellation was estimated at about $41.8 million in the fiscal year, according to a November budget document.

How and when potential recruits would be notified that they’re eligible hasn’t yet been determined, according to NYPD spokeswoman Jessica McRorie.

Adams, speaking at a City Hall news conference, also announced that the additional revenue would mean the return of a fifth firefighter at 20 FDNY engine companies where the fifth had been removed.

“The fifth firefighter, in its most simple terms, gets water on a fire faster,” FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said. 

Despite more money than expected, there remains a budget shortfall totaling billions of dollars over the next several fiscal years.

Late last year, Adams announced that among the across-the-board cuts to city agencies: the April NYPD class, along with several others, would be canceled and fewer firefighters would be on duty at 20 firehouses. Adams reversed those cuts Wednesday. He did not say whether the other canceled NYPD classes would be restored. He also didn't say whether any cuts to other agencies — libraries, schools, parks and more — would be newly restored. There are three additional NYPD classes also set to graduate this year. Those hadn’t been canceled.

Also Wednesday, the Adams administration lowered its cost estimate for providing room and board to tens of thousands of foreign migrants through the coming fiscal year.

Since August, the administration has been estimating the cost at about $12 billion. But on Wednesday, Adams’ budget chief, Jacques Jiha, put the revised cost at just over $10 billion.

Adams said the city has been cutting migrant costs, which include food, laundry, housing and facilities cleaning, at over 200 sites where about 70,000 migrants still live. Since April 2022, about 170,000 migrants have arrived in the city in the current crisis.

The administration didn't itemize the reduced migrant costs, which Jiha said amount to about 20%. 

But in general, Adams said, “We looked at how much we were paying in food, we brought in some good partners, and we’re gonna bring down the cost.”

The mayor, who has said he generally avoids eating animal products, said the administration wants to simplify menus and ensure there’s no food waste.

“Taking away certain items like cheese on hamburgers is a difference,” Adams said. “I hope it was vegan cheese on the hamburger.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the estimated savings from the April NYPD academy class had it been canceled.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.