Just 30% of NYPD department lieutenants decided to take the captain test this year—the rest deciding it wasn't worth the effort. But of those who did take the time (between 456 and 537), just 68 passed. Those who failed are claiming the test wasn't fair and abused the English language to trick test takers. One claimed a lengthy question used the word "irregardless" to confuse the test taker into marking "none of the above" as the right answer, since "irregardless" isn't a word. (Lexicographer battle!) Another said, "The questions were disgustingly obscure and were ridiculously long, only to lead to answers that were hideous." more ›

On April 24th the NYPD will conduct a test for any lieutenants wishing to become captains. However, apparently only 537—about 30%—of the departments lieutenants have signed up for the exam. The Post reports that many cops say they can earn as much money as a lieutenant in their current position, and don't have to deal with the added pressure of the higher ranking job. Former cop Gene O'Donnell believes this doesn't bode well for morale in the organization. "The middle level is not inclined to take a test to rise in the organization, and that's an indicator that they plan not to make policing a career and will leave." more ›

After initially being given a pass from testifying in the federal case against the FDNY's alleged discriminatory practices with its entrance exams, Mayor Bloomberg has been ordered to give a deposition in the case due to his eagerness to expound upon it while giving testimony before Congress during Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings. The News says the deposition was ordered "as a result of Bloomberg's blabbing" and the Times suggests next time he testifies, the mayor "might want to stick to the subject." Bloomberg voluntarily spoke at length about the FDNY case while relating it to a similar one in New Haven that Sotomayor had decided on (a ruling he disagreed with). The federal judge in the FDNY discrimination suit said, "The mayor's sworn testimony before Congress indicates his personal involvement in the events at issue in this litigation." Last week a judge ruled the entrance exams "unfairly excluded hundreds of qualified people of color" and the case is now heading toward its penal phase. When asked about the judge's orders, the mayor said, "I have to talk to our lawyers, but normally I give depositions when asked." more ›

A federal judge ruled that the FDNY's written exams "unfairly excluded hundreds of qualified people of color." Judge Nicholas Garaufis wrote, "These unlawful practices barred over a thousand additional black and Hispanic applicants from consideration for appointment as FDNY firefighters, and unfairly delayed the appointment of hundreds of black and Hispanic firefighters." Back in 2007, the Justice Department joined the Vulcan Society to sue the fire department because many more black and Hispanic candidates failed the exam; at the time, only 7.5% of the FDNY was black and/or Hispanic (while in LA and Philadelphia, fire departments were around 40% black and/or Hispanic). The AP reports, "Garaufis said he must consider remedies to end the discrimination which occurred in written exams given to thousands of firefighter candidates from 1999 to 2007." The city has not decided whether it will appeal the decision. more ›

Keiko DesJardins has no history of mental illness, but her visit to Coney Island Hospital Monday morning for a routine GYN exam resulted in her forced transfer to the hospital's psychiatric emergency room. When she told the GYN admissions nurse about her past treatment for mood swings caused by PMS, the nurse "misunderstood and panicked," DesJardins tells NY1. Despite protest from her and her husband, she was forcibly transferred over to the psych ward. more ›

The NYPD's recruiting woes appear to be continuing through 2008, with a sharp drop-off in the number of candidates applying to sit for the Police Officer Exam, which is the first step to qualifying to enter the Police Academy. According to the New York Post, the number of test takers is down 20% from number of people who took the exam at the same time last year. "Slightly fewer than 20,000 have applied for the Feb. 23 test, down from the roughly 25,000 who filed last year. In October 2004, more than 35,000 registered for the test." more ›