Harvard Grad Chooses $25,000-Salary Job as N.Y. Cop

New York Sun ^ | 06/28/07 | CHRISTOPHER FAHERTY

[TigerLikesRooster]

Harvard Grad Chooses $25,000-Salary Job as N.Y. Cop

BY CHRISTOPHER FAHERTY - Special to the Sun

June 28, 2007

URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/57456

Cheryl Walter is a graduate of Harvard University and has a master's degree in forensic psychology, but yesterday, as she addressed the city's newest class of police officers as their valedictorian, she realized a lifelong dream: becoming a police officer.

"They always knew I was going to do law enforcement," Officer Walter said of her parents. "They were just surprised I didn't do the feds." With Officer Walter's pedigree — she earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Harvard and a master's in forensic psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice — she could have joined any one of the country's law enforcement agencies. But the 26-year-old valedictorian, who during her speech yesterday at the police academy graduation at Madison Square Garden referred to her classmates as her "family in blue," picked the New York City Police Department.

"It's bigger than any of the other agencies," Officer Walter said. "There is more of a variety of things to do."

[KJC1]

Good for her.

My only surprise is that the salary is only $25k. WOW. That seems like a crime.

In California, starting pay is about $65-70k on average.

[Moonman62]

My guess is that was her training salary.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I would have thought she was way too brainy to be accepted.

[KJC1]

That’s what I was talking about, starting pay.

I am stunned.

[Moonman62]

It’s not really starting pay. They are being paid to go to school.

[KJC1]

They get paid while in the academy, which is what “starting pay” is. There are incentives that kick in afterwards, like education and foreign language pay per month, plus additional training and overtime.

When I said “starting pay,” that’s what I meant. From the day you become an employee, and are put through an academy.

[Wiggins]

If I were her I would go back to Harvard and ask for a refund as she was obviously cheated out of an education. Seriously, I wish her good luck and a safe career.

[Wiggins]

N.Y.P.D pay is low compared to the many small towns and villages just north of the city in Westchester County. Rockland, Suffolk and Nassau Counties offer even better wages for police officers. Many N.Y.P.D. officers look for transfers to these departments for obvious reasons.

[BBell]

Here she is. I need to learn how to post pics. Maybe I’ll ask my 11 year old.

http://www.nydailynews.com/img/2007/06/28/amd_rookies2.jpg

[knarf]

Put the cursor on the pic ... right click
copy properties
post as,

<(no space) img(space)src="(paste properties here)"(no space) >

Then preview

Some pics are protected and won't copy.

[BBell]

Thanks, I’ll try it.

[MaxMax]

God Bless her. I've heard that the NYPD takes care of their own.

I Salute you Officer Walter.

MaxMax.

[knarf]

You'r welcome.

BTW ... you got this from a 14 3/4 year old.

(Feb 29th ... do the math)

[Gigantor]

Semantics. Paid training for 6 months, not including overtime, paid holidays, 4 weeks vacation from day 1.

[Toadman]

So you were 2 years old when you started posting to FR! ;-)

Sorry... couldn't resist.

[Braak]

Nope it’s the starting salary. You see, in the last contract negotiations with the city...the union shorted the rookies 2 grand a year to protect overtime and pensions for the veteran officers. Nice, huh?

[gcruse]

What a waste of education.  It's almost as bad as this comment left on a Dr Ellen thread.

I have a doctorate in experimental nuclear physics. Can't do that without knowing your way around tools and wires. But I ran away to join the museum and became a curator.

[Clam Digger]

The quotations are not necessary.