NEW YORK (Sputnik) — Natives from Russia and several other former Soviet states are among the 822 New York City Police (NYPD) officers that joined the force during a celebration on Thursday, the NYPD said in a statement.
“Recruits were born in 44 countries and speak 55 foreign languages,” the NYPD stated on Thursday.
Among new class of police officers are also recruits from Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
“Today we congratulate the 834 recruits who graduated from the academy and joined the ranks of the best police force in the world,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.
The NYPD noted the first city-wide deployment for the new class will be during the July 4 weekend celebration.
The New York Police Department is the largest police force in the United States employing more than 51,000 people.
