Criminal Justice Schools in New York | NY
The NYPD (New York City Police Department) is the country’s largest police department, according to the Public Relations Journal. In 2007, the NYPD had over 51,000 full time employees, over 35,000 of them being sworn officers, states the U.S. Department of Justice. In all of New York State, there’s an average of 130 job openings per year for police and state patrol officers, according to Projections Central. Check out the list of criminal justice schools in New York for information on law enforcement degrees or similar courses if you would like to join the NYPD or another New York State force.
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In fact, the State of New York is one of five states with the highest level of employment for most criminal justice careers, from court reporters and bailiffs to probation officers and detectives. You can complete a criminal justice degree in New York specializing in law enforcement, legal studies, court reporting, corrections, criminology, probations, law and many more disciplines to prepare you for a valuable career. Notice how the colleges, universities and academies offer campus and/or online programs to select a course load that fits your schedule.
New York Criminal Justice Career Outlook
Opportunities for criminal justice careers in New York abound! According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, New York is one of five states with the highest level of employment for the following professions. (The average number of job openings per year is provided by Projections Central):
- Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers – 130 openings/year
- Court Reporters – 30 openings/year
- Arbitrators, Mediators and Conciliators – 10 openings/year
- Judges and Magistrates – 70 openings/year
- Lawyers – 1,700 openings/year
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants – 600 openings/year
- Bailiffs – 100 openings/year
- Correctional Officers and Jailers – 820 openings/year
- Probation and Correctional Treatment Specialists – 140 openings/year
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators – 240 openings/year
- First-line Supervisors of Police and Detectives – 600 openings/year
- Private Detectives and Investigators – 40 openings/year
- Security Guards – 2,390 openings/year
Criminal Justice schools in New York provide educational programs to help prepare you for these careers and make you stand out from pools of applicants. For example, if you would like to become a paralegal, you could complete an online or campus degree or courses. To become a police officer, most agencies prefer at least an Associate’s Degree in law enforcement. To become a corrections officer, complete a criminal justice degree in New York majoring in criminology, corrections or another related discipline.
Top Criminal Justice Employers & Agencies
In addition to the NYPD, the State of New York boasts other top law enforcement agencies including the New York State Police (with almost 5,000 officers), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (over 300 officers), the New York State Park Police (over 300 officers), the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (almost 2,000 officers) and the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority (approximately 700 officers), according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
In all, New York has over 500 law enforcement agencies. If you would like to serve and protect with one of these departments, complete a criminal justice degree in New York with a specialization in law enforcement, wildlife conservation, criminology, homeland security or another related discipline. Agencies like the New York State Police also have forensic science, criminal investigation and counterterrorism units for which you can find relevant degrees among the criminal justice schools in New York. Check each agency for their eligibility requirements. For example, the Port Authority requires candidates to have 60 college/university credits or two years of military service with honorable discharge.
Additionally, New York State has three FBI field offices, eight U.S. Secret Services field offices, two Homeland Security Special-Agent-in-Charge field offices and one of the FBI’s Regional Computer Forensics Laboratories. To be eligible to work for one of these top agencies you might consider taking a criminal justice degree in New York with a specialization in homeland security, cyber security, counterterrorism, criminal psychology, computer forensics or another relevant program.
New York Criminal Justice & Legal Job Outlook & New York Criminal Justice Salary
| Career | Employment Growth through 2018 | Current Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | 2% | $55,000 – 65,000 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | 4% | $70,000 – 79,000 |
| First-line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | 1% | $88,000 – 92,000 |
| Private Detectives and Investigators | 8% | $49,000 – 52,000 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | 10% | $52,000 – 62,000 |
| Lawyers | 1% | $145,000 – 155,000 |
| Emergency Management Specialists | 6% | $56,000 – 63,000 |
| Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists | 5% | $60,000 – 63,000 |
| Arbitrators, Mediators and Conciliators | 3% | $70,000 – 75,000 |
Sources: Growth Projections projectionscentral.com ~ Salary Range bls.gov
New York Crime Rate
New York is among the five states with the lowest crime rates in the country, according to the National Institute of Corrections. Its overall crime rate is about 27% lower than the rest of the country. Its property crime rate is 32% lower; however, its violent crime rate is 7% higher than the national average.
In 2010, the FBI reported approximately 392 violent crimes per 100,000 people. These included an overall count of over 800 murders and almost 44,000 cases of aggravated assaults. For that same year, the property crime rate was approximately 1,941 cases per 100,000 people.
New York’s Correctional System Stats
| Facility | Number of Facilities & Offices | Number of Inmates |
|---|---|---|
| Jails | 74 | 32,324 |
| Prisons | 56 | 56,315 |
| Probation & Parole | 57 probation departments, 7 division offices (parole) | 119,657 probationers, 49,950 parolees |
Source: www.nicic.gov
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