A New York state judge issued a temporary restraining order late Thursday blocking the NYPD from immediately forcing 31 probationary officers to resign. The Police Benevolent Association sought the order after the department told the officers—hired between 2023 and 2024—that they had 24 hours to quit or be fired because they were taken on despite final notices of disqualification. An internal investigation found the recruits had disqualifying issues such as undisclosed criminal convictions, prior arrests, and suspended driver’s licences. The probe has also focused on Inspector Terrell Anderson, the former head of the Candidate Assessment Division, who was transferred in May and now faces potential departmental charges for allegedly overriding hiring safeguards. Justice Paul Goetz scheduled a hearing for 15 July, when the city and the police union will argue whether the dismissals can proceed. The episode comes as the NYPD struggles to fill its ranks: the force counts roughly 34,475 uniformed officers, about 14 % fewer than in 2000, prompting the department this year to loosen education requirements for new recruits.