NOPD recruit class 181 began their training on 9/5/2017 adding another 26 recruits to NOPD’s force.
Class 181 is the 13th class since the start of 2012. Those classes have averaged 30 recruits who begin training and a 12.9 percent attrition rate which is slightly higher than NOPD’s roughly 9 percent attrition rate over that time. Here’s how the classes have broken out:
| Start | End | Class | Recruits | Graduates | Attrition |
| Feb-12 | Aug-12 | 168 | 31 | 29 | 6.5% |
| Nov-13 | May-14 | 169 | 29 | 23 | 20.7% |
| May-14 | Dec-14 | 170 | 30 | 27 | 10% |
| Sep-14 | Apr-15 | 171 | 32 | 27 | 15.6% |
| Jan-15 | Sep-15 | 172 | 30 | 29 | 3.3% |
| Jun-15 | Dec-15 | 173 | 33 | 29 | 12.1% |
| Oct-15 | Apr-16 | 174 | 32 | 28 | 12.5% |
| Dec-15 | Jul-16 | 175 | 34 | 26 | 23.5% |
| May-16 | Nov-16 | 176 | 39 | 35 | 10.3% |
| Jul-16 | Jan-17 | 177 | 32 | 29 | 10% |
| Oct-16 | Apr-17 | 178 | 33 | 28 | 15.2% |
| Dec-16 | Jul-17 | 179 | 10 | 8 | 20% |
| Jun-17 |
Dec-17 | 180 | 28 | ||
| Sep-17 |
Feb-18 | 181 | 26 |
Note that only two NOPD classes have been able to run at the same time although a third simultaneous class “started” in December 2015 & 2016. These classes officially started in December likely as an effort to achieve one extra class in the calendar year. Their official training lasted longer than other classes suggesting real training did not begin until January. NOPD began training roughly 114 recruits in 2016, graduated about 90 new officers added and will grow the force by roughly 10-15 officers.
The department will need to increase the number of classes it is able to run concurrently or dramatically increase the average number of recruits per class in order to grow the department in a reasonable amount of time.
