Courts graduate largest-ever officer class
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The Unified Court System recently graduated its largest and most diverse group of court officers. Photo by Margaret McCann/OCA
By Noah Powelson
Courthouses in Queens and throughout the city will likely soon see a much-needed increase in their court officer ranks after the state’s court system says it just recently graduated its largest and most diverse group of officer candidates ever.
Officials with the Unified Court System announced on Wednesday that 251 men and women from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds will soon be deployed in courts across New York City, Long Island, and the Ninth Judicial District’s Hudson Valley region after recently graduating from Court Officers Academy.
Not only does the new class help offset the court system’s multi-year officer shortage, but it also stands to help diversify the court’s ranks of officers who were described in a 2020 landmark report on racial justice in the courts as having a “culture of toxicity and unprofessionalism … towards litigants, litigants’ relatives and attorneys of color.”
According to data provided by the UCS, of the 251 graduates, 5.6 percent identify as Asian American, 19.3 percent as Black; 29.7 percent as Hispanic, and 6 percent identified as multi-racial or multi-ethnic. Additionally, women make up 23 percent of the class.
“I am excited by our progress as we work to build a more inclusive cadre of uniformed officers, a court officer corps that embodies New York’s rich mosaic, and a more diversified non-judicial workforce throughout the state,” said Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas.
“I am both impressed and inspired by the hardworking, highly motivated candidates that we continue to attract to carry out this public-facing role that is so crucial to the court system’s functioning and the delivery of justice in New York State,” he added.
As part of the initiative to increase diversity among court officers, the Office of Court Administration’s Division of Human Resources launched a multimedia recruitment campaign through social media posts, emails and other modes of communication advertising courtroom career opportunities and increasing overall public awareness of Unified Court System’s mission.
“New York State Court Officers truly are the ambassadors of our state courts and justice system,” said First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George. “Theirs is a critical position, calling for a uniformed corps that encompasses a wide range of diversity in best serving the many New Yorkers of varying needs who each year come to our courts seeking resolution and assistance on an array of legal matters.”
In addition to the officers’ diverse cultural backgrounds, UCS highlighted the wide variety of professional backgrounds their newest officers came from.
Though many previously served as law enforcement officers, the newest recruits include former carpenters, nurses, veterinary technicians, EMTs, an accountant and a baseball network associate producer. Relatives of former court officers also made up a large number of graduates, including the son of one unnamed judge.
“Combining their mix of talents and traditions and the knowledge and skills acquired and honed during their months of intensive training at the Court Officers Academy, the new graduates make a wonderful addition to our court family,” said Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives Edwina G. Richardson. “As demonstrated by their tenacity, dedication, and awareness, they are ready and able to assume their vital public service roles and I couldn’t be prouder.”
Diversifying the state’s court officers has been a priority for court leadership dating back to 2020, when issues within their ranks were highlighted in Jeh Johnson’s 2020 report on equal justice in the courts.
Multiple interviewees told Johnson that “a number of court officers engage in disrespectful, condescending and unprofessional behavior directed disproportionately at individuals of color interacting with the judicial system.”
Even some court officers of color told Johnson and his team that they “felt they could not report incidents of bias, for fear of being ostracized by their fellow officers and facing adverse career consequences from powerful union leaders.”
The Court Officers Academy trains all court system personnel classified as “peace officers.”
Academy training requires 4 months of instruction under certified police instructors which includes physical training, defensive tactics, basic life support, and firearms training.
Additionally, court officers must also complete academic courses on New York State Penal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, court structure, agency policies and guidelines.
The last time the Court Officers Academy graduated a class nearly as large as the most recent class was in June of 2019 when 222 court officers were deployed throughout the state.
UCS says the newest graduating class will bring the New York State Court Officers’ corps membership to almost 4,000 people.
Shortly after taking over as chief administrative judge last year, Zayas told the Eagle that improving court leadership’s relationship with officers while also growing their ranks was among his top priorities.
“There was a broken relationship with our court officers,” Zayas told the Eagle in September 2023. “They are a big segment of our employees.”
