Fifty-four NY/NJ Port Authority Police officers were promoted in a department reorganization that is expected to help reduce overtime and better meet security demands.
The department is also adding about 500 officers over the next nine months, the first recruit class since 2009. The move will increase department from just more than 1,700 officers to what officials said will be more than 2,000, after attrition. That number will include an airport firefighting squad of close to 200 officers who, under an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration, will be police officers, but will only do law enforcement work in emergencies.
The new command structure will include separate deputy chiefs, who will oversee the officers in the airports, seaports, bridges and tunnels, said Joseph Dunne, the Port Authority's chief security officer.