Cheating scandal rocks NYPD’s sergeants exam even as department struggles with mass resignations
New York City: This year's NYPD’s sergeants exam has been marred by accusations of mass cheating, with candidates who took the test on the first day helping out those who took it on the second day. About 12,000 police officers took the four-and-a-half-hour exam over four sessions on Wednesday, August 3, and Thursday, August 4 at the Javits Center.
Some of the officers who left the first session on Wednesday began distributing the answers on messaging groups an officer who took the exam said, according to a report in the New York Post. Svreenshots of some of these messages show general test topics such as “active shooter procedures” and “religious head coverings". Other texts show how more help was provided, including “Aided question — Answer is Homeless individual".
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"This is pure corruption to the core,” said the officer, noting that people “study their asses off" to get a chance at a sergeant’s promotion. The position comes with a minimum salary of $96,017, which is about $10,000 more than officers make after five-and-a-half years on the force. A comparasion of the notes found that multiple-choice exams over the four sessions were very similar, with possibly only the answers being reordered, the officer said, adding “the people on day two had a big advantage.”
Mike Yanosik, a retired NYPD deputy inspector who runs the Elite Strategic Training test prep service, expressed his shock over the fact that the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) would give such a similar 100-question exam on two different days. “It's the most unfair thing I’ve ever heard,” he said, adding that students spent as many as seven months in his courses to prepare.
Another test prep service named 'They Key' reportedly sent out a message to test-takers saying DCAS provided “another unacceptable exam that was poorly written, chaotically and inconsistently administered, and provided some test takers with an unfair advantage". DCAS said different questions were given for the tests on the two consecutive days. “The city has zero tolerance for cheating on civil service exams. Allegations of cheating are thoroughly investigated and those who engage is misconduct are held accountable. City employees who disclose the contents of a civil service exam could be subject to termination and even prosecution,” a DCAS spokesman said.
Late in June more than 100 NYPD detectives retired from their jobs and 75 more were planning to put in their papers shortly. Officials and detectives said many officers became frustrated by the "revolving door justice and rules that hamstring them" in the city. The Detectives Endowment Association president Paul DiGiacomo said at the time, "That’s going to have a major impact on investigating crimes. The detective squads are down now as we speak and are investigating more cases. It’s going to have an impact on public safety."
