A 28-year-old police officer died yesterday after a run. Sherman Abrams had been running along the East River with his Police Academy colleagues and after the run, he collapsed and died a short time later. Abrams had joined the Academy in July more ›

If there is one thing that can make a driver livid it is when a public parking space is illegally made private. We have neighbors who are still complaining about an illegal sidewalk cut on our block five years ago. So we can only imagine the furor those trying to park on East 20th Street between Second and Third Avenues must feel. See the block, which houses the NYPD's Police Academy, is also home to half a dozen home-made Department of Sanitation signs meant which read "No Standing," and then: "Except Authorized Police Academy Vehicles." Those crazy cadets! more ›

The NYPD is beginning to force its recruits to face the music and reveal to investigators just what is on their MySpace and Facebook pages before it becomes a headache for the department down the road. Not surprisingly, a few things have already turned up that have put would-be cops into hot water. The Post reports that one recruit's page featured a picture of him pointing a gun at a friend and a couple of others "whose networking accounts included boasts of gang membership, or photos of the applicant sporting gang-related tattoos and making gang gestures." 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 ›

A sparkling new 700-pound ball, tons of confetti, and over a million people helped ring in the New Year from Times Square last night/early today. Mayor Bloomberg and police Police Academy valedictorian Karolina Wierzchowska, who also served in the Iraq War, hit the switch that brought the famous Times Square New Year's ball down. The Daily News called it a "shimmering pole dance," and it was the 100th time Times Square has had a ball drop to welcome the new year. more ›

And by "you," we mean New York's Finest. Reader Graham tipped us off to a empty storefront at Grand and Crosby that has been wrapped in this Albuquerque Police Department recruiting ad; he sent the picture and said, "It pretty much speaks for itself." Sure does - it tells us there was no empty ad space right across from 1 Police Plaza. more ›

Police officer Sonia Garcia was found dead in the Bay Shore, Long Island home she shared with fellow NYPD officer Alexis Chaparro. Chaparro, an instructor at the POlice Academy, told the police he heard a shot and found Garcia, who worked at the 77th Precinct in Brooklyn, in their bedroom early in the morning. He called 911 at about 5:15AM. more ›

About 14% of new police recruits have dropped out of the latest Police Academy class of over 1,000 recruits, and some are worried that the city's crimefighting programs will be hurt. Notably, "Operation Impact," which Police Commissioner Ray Kelly credit withs helping decrease crime by 25-30% by concentrating cops in those "impact areas" may be without more police officers. Kelly blames the attrition partly on the low starting salary of $25,100. more ›

A jury convicted 15-year NYPD veteran Alberto Sanchez of beating his subordinate and girlfriend in Manhattan last year. Sharon Gandarilla had accused Sanchez of punching and kicking her on Bleecker Street after she had spoken to another male officer at a party. Sanchez and Gandarilla, who were in other relationships at the time, had been having a consensual relationship that started at a Harlem Precinct and continued when Sanchez, and then Gandarilla, transferred to the Police Academy. more ›

Yesterday, a police officer testified that her police captain boyfriend viciously beat her. Sharon Gandarilla, who was married to another man at the time of the affair, had filed a sexual-harassment suit earlier this month, alleging that 17-year NYPD veteran Alberto Sanchez had assaulted her multiple times during they three-year affair. She also claimed that Sanchez forced her to have sex at their East Harlem precinct house and at the Police Academy, where he was later transferred and where he persuaded her to transfer. more ›

Yesterday afternoon, 1,097 police cadets graduated from the Police Academy in a ceremony at Madison Square Garden. The Mayor said, "Just a few weeks ago, the FBI reported that violent crime went up in the rest of the nation during 2006, but here in New York violent crime decreased. The NYPD has continued to drive violent crime and property crime down to historic lows this year - and year after year. Today we welcome 1,097 men and women into the ranks of our Police Department to continue the proud tradition of New York's Finest." more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a shooting at 178th Pl. in Queens, a bank robbery at White Plains Rd. in the Bronx, and a homicide on West 157th St. and Broadway in Manhattan, and a water rescue off 88th St. near Gracie Mansion..
• The suspected killer of FDNY Chief Ray Downey's nephew, who was tracked to California, killed himself yesterday when cornered by cops.
• East River State Park opened today. Be one of the first to visit.
• $1,000 goes a long way: the cash handed to Richard Johnson at the NY Post continues to gain him press at the Times.
• Perhaps in an attempt to take the edge off moving it from Gramercy, Manhattan, to College Point, Queens, the City wants to pour $1 billion into the new Police Academy.
• A Long Island husband was arrested for allegedly murdering his estranged wife in a Long Island bagel shop.
• The original Star Wars was release this weekend 30 years ago.
• Vice President Cheney delivers the commencement address at West Point.

Gutenberg! The Musical! may not have been about the Police Academy star, but tonight's installment of Inside Joke is. But before The Gute heads off to The UCB Theater to discuss the art of comedy, he sat down with Gothamist to discuss what he's hiding from TMZ. more ›

Mr. Gonell, Mr. Ferrari, Ms. O’Connor and Mr. Torres, along with several other recruits, said that they knew being a police officer would never make them rich, but that their desire to join the force outweighed the financial hardship. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: A shooting in Brooklyn, a power outage in Queens, and scaffolding that fell on the 5 tracks - subway service on the 2 and 5 is messed up!
• A Bronx man pleaded guilty to terror plotting; Tarik Shah will serve no more than 15 years for offering to teach Al Qaeda operatives "how to wage jihad with hand-to-hand combat"
• New lawsuit to stop the Atlantic Yards lawsuit, on the grounds that the Pataki administration's Environmental Impact Statement was "fatally flawed"
• A man stabbed his father while in an SUV in Midtown last night; his mother watched from the backseat
• Brooklyn Record looked at the Williamsburg jeans from the Gap, but it's questionable how Williamsburg they really are
• The Police Academy will move out of its gross East 20th Street digs to College Point, Queens, where the College Point auto pound currently resides
• The missing British teen who ran - and flew - away to NYC after an argument with his parents was found at JFK; we're intrigued how he had enough money of his own to buy a ticket (credit card, probably?)
• Gridskipper lists the top sake bars in the city; old standbys Decibel and Angel Share make it
• The pet food recall now includes dog biscuits
• And, finally, Community Board 4 approved renaming the west side of 53rd and 8th Avenue "Jerry Orbach Way"
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A driver, either "emotionally disturbed" or simply drunk, caused a crazy, violent scene yesterday in Ozone Park, Queens. Fifty-year-old Joseph Leonardi had been driving the wrong way on 83rd Street, when his car "hopped onto the sidewalk," according to the Sun. The car was headed towards Sister Hannah Marie Cox, but a Good Samaritan Juan Valez pushed her away and the Buick hit a tree and a building. Leonardi got out of car and ran for six blocks, with people chasing him. But then Leonardi threatened them with a huge knife. more ›

There's always some sort of trouble in West Chelsea. Last night, two off-duty police officers were assaulted by a group around 4AM. Officers Richard Lomax and Robert DeFazio, friends who both graduated from the Police Academy last year, were in a Ford Explorer that apparently slid on ice at West 28th Street and 10th Avenue. They rear-ended a Nissan Maxima, whose driver and passengers were not happy: Lomax, who was driving, and DeFazio got out of the car, and the Maxima's passengers attacked them as Lomax was dialing 911. more ›

Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Kelly heralded the new group of police officers to graduate from the Police Academy. And this was the most diverse class. Here are some stats from the city:

Of today's graduates, approximately 28% of the graduates are Hispanic, 17% are black, 8% are Asian, 1% are other ethnicities, and 46% are white. Approximately 18% of the graduates are female. Among today's class, 23% have received four-year college degrees; 17% have completed associates degrees; and 13 individuals have earned Master's degrees. Nearly 90% of the class has had some college education.

The Suffolk County DA's office believes that the NYPD cadet who plotted to kill his girlfriend may have wanted to prevent her from telling anyone about his "shady past." Kabeer Din, a Long Island resident who is being held on $1.5 million bond/$150,000 cash bail, had just started the city's police academy after some time with Baltimore's police department when the NYPD's Internal Affairs found out that Din was looking for a hit man. When an undercover detective posing as a contract killer met with Din, the rookie apparently wondered about disgraced "Mafia Cops" Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa, asking, "Is there some kind of unofficial connection between police types and mob types?" Which is certainly weird, as Eppolito and Caracappa are on trial (still!) for carrying out murders for the mob. Anyway, as it's unclear what Din's "shady past" might be, another hypothesis for the murderous plot is that Din was mad his girlfriend turned down his marriage proposal. His sister, Anjma Hussain, said that her brother was a "devout Muslim" and that the allegations were not true, emphasizing that he wouldn't even date a woman the family didn't know. more ›

Bridezillas are bad, but this wanna-be groom takes the cake. Recent Police Academy recruit Kabeer Din tried to hire a hit man to kill his girlfriend. Din, who transferred to NYC after recently graduating from Baltimore's police academy, wanted to get married sooner while the girlfriend wanted to wait. The scheme was revealed when Din asked for help in finding a killer - the man he asked to help set him up with a hit man told the police. So the NYPD worked with the Suffolk County DA's office - Din lives on Long Island - on a sting: A Suffolk County detective posed as a hit man while Din made a deposit of $200 (any more than that would look suspcious) and a credit card on the $3,000 hit. more ›

The Post blew its wad too early with yesterday's cover story, "NYPD JEW," ab out the city's first Hasid joining the Police Academy. Why? It turns out that Joel Witriol didn't have enough academic credits to be accepted. Naturally, the Daily News loves pointing that out, as well as the fact the NYPD has hired Orthodox Jews in the past (but were they Hasidic?). Anyway, the Post notes the credit snafu and has a quote from Witriol ("I don't want to blame anyone but myself and look forward to starting, whether with this class or the next one.") who didn't submit his transcript until last week. The Post still tries to find the silver lining and leads with a married couple joining the academy. more ›

The Post delights in finding Police Academy cadet, Joel Witriol, and devotes a cover story to the NYPD's first Hasidic cop. What's interesting is that Witriol, a 24 year old from Williamsburg who studied at United Talmudical Seminary, became interested in joining the force after being on the NYPD's Auxillary Police Force. Regular citizens (without convictions or arrest records, of course) can patrol their neighborhoods, parade, subway entranges - even do traffic patrol - to be the "eyes and ears" for the police. Witriol will be exempt from holidays and police hairstyle rules with proof from a rabbi. We wonder if the police are more aggressively recruiting in the Hasidic community, given the protest in April, when police arrested a Hasidic man for using a cellphone while driving. more ›

Last night was an unfortunate one for drivers. Not that there aren't a lot of accidents all the time sadly, but the early hours had some particularly upsetting stories: more ›

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- And in this update about the closest baby panda to NY, aka the little guy in DC at the National Zoo, it looks like his eyes are open! more ›

You know it's the Oscars when P. Diddy busts out the velvet suit! Gothamist loves the Oscars, and we're going to attempt to do a little liveblogging. We might need to order a vat of caffeine and an EMT team at the ready; not because Chris Rock will be boring, but because we think that Gil Cates might kill us with his newfangled ideas and because we're meh about this year's nominees in the big categories. Anyway, onto the show. more ›

IMDB's listing on the Police Academy and its sequels; Sharon Stone was in the fourth one. And Gothamist must say G.W. Bailey is one of the archetypes for movie villains with his great 80s performances in Police Academy movies and Mannequin. more ›

Gothamist is always interested in New York crime stories, and yesterday's discovery of pipe bombs in Brooklyn Heights makes for a truly confusing case. Take a look at the details and post your hypothesis in comments. The opening of the Times article gives a sense of the strange intrigue: more ›