As New Yorkers we are all consumed with daily accounts of self-sacrifice our first responders are making during the Covid-19 pandemic. The nurses, doctors, fire fighters, paramedics and police are all involved. The police may be the first on the scene, ready and able to respond to the emergency.

Baruch College, formerly part of the College of the City of New York, has a strong link to the Police Department, dating to the 1920s. In 1925 it was announced that the Police Academy would open in the Commerce Building of the College of the City of New York (old Free Academy building). The New York Times on April 24, 1925 reported:

“Police Commissioner Enright made formal announcement yesterday of the appointment of Deputy Inspector John J. Noonan as Commandant of the new Police Academy, which will be opened this morning in the Commerce Building of the College of the City of New York at Lexington Avenue and Twenty-third Street.” [1]

The college planned to help train instructors in the program. However, this program was short-lived and a new Police Academy opened in 1929. In the 1929 Police Department report there was mention of a Police College but there was no indication of where it would be housed.

“A complete reorganization of the Police Academy has been effected and the scope of this educational branch of the Department has been broadened to cover a much larger field of education.” [2]

It wasn’t until 1937 that there was once again interest in training the police at the college. A Ticker article in 1937 had the title, “Mayor Advocates New ‘Tech’ School for the City College.” This program would specialize in government training which included police training.[3] 1939 was the first year of the Division of Public Service Training with an enrollment of 80 students who were preparing for entry to the Police and Fire Departments. There were 300 employees of the welfare, correction, and police and fire departments registered to take the courses. A New York Times article stated that the school was transferring its courses from the School of Business, on 23rd Street to the uptown campus where students can enroll in engineering courses. [4]

Because of the United States involvement in World War II the program ended and it was not until the 1950s that the School of Business and the Police Academy offered a degree granting program. In 1954, the Board of Higher Education approved a Police Science Program at the new renamed Baruch School of Business and Public Administration which began in 1955. “The Baruch School, in conjunction with the Police Academy, offers newly appointed policemen a program of courses leading to a degree of Associate in Applied Sciences.” [5]

The program continued to expand and in 1957 it was announced that in the Fall of 1957 New York’s police officers will be able to enroll in a four-year, tuition-free college program leading to a Bachelor’s degree. [6] That September the Ticker reported that:

“The program will be open to any law-enforcement officer employed by the Federal Government or any state of city. Classes will be held at the Baruch School, with graduates receiving the degree of Bachelor of Business Administration in Police Science.” [7]

In 1965 the program was removed from Baruch College and transferred to the new College of Police Science, John Jay College.

This is not the end of the story because in 1976 during the New York City fiscal crisis it was proposed that the new John Jay College close along with Richmond and Hostos Colleges and that the criminal justice program move back to Baruch College. In the end the college was saved and the criminal justice program would remain and flourish at John Jay.

Our college evolves and changes over the years as its history illustrates, but what does not change is our commitment to provide education to help the city’s work force keep our city running.

Notes:

[1] “Noonan Made Head of Police Academy,” New York Times, April 24, 1925: 7.

[2] Semi-annual report Police Department City of New York. 1929: 30.

[3]”Mayor Advocates New ‘Tech’ School For City College,” Ticker, V.1, number 19, February 23, 1937: 4.

[4] “City College to Expand Training Course for Fire, Policy and City Aide Applicants,” New York Times, June 16, 1940: D4.

[5] “City College Study For Police Praised,” New York Times, October 11, 1955:78.

[6] “4 College Years Opened to Police,” New York Times, May 26, 1957: 70.

[7]”Baruch School Offering Courses in Correction,” Ticker, V. xxxix, number 1, September 16, 1957: 6.