Port Authority Adds 80 New Officers

Dec. 11, 2016

The Port Authority Police Department on Dec. 9, added 80 officers to its ranks with the graduation of the department’s 114th Police Academy class. This year’s graduating class is among the PAPD’s most ethnically diverse, and features a third-generation PAPD officer and former Major League baseball pitcher.

The cadets joining the department completed a rigorous, 26-week training program, culminating in this morning’s two-hour graduation ceremony at the Dunn Sports Center in Elizabeth, N.J.

Port Authority Chief Security Officer Thomas Belfiore congratulated the new officers, praised their accomplishment during the six-month academy training session and said he expected important contributions from them in the years ahead.

“This diverse group of recruits has demonstrated exceptional diligence and professionalism during their rigorous training,” Belfiore said. “They have the tools to protect the many millions of customers who use and pass through our transportation facilities every day.”

 “Port Authority Police Academy graduates receive the most up-to-date, comprehensive and specialized training in modern policing,” PAPD Superintendent Michael Fedorko said. “They are ready to tackle one of the most challenging and rewarding careers in law enforcement today.”

Thirty percent of this year’s class is made up of officers who are African-American, Hispanic or of Asian descent. Nine of the graduates have served previously in the military.

Anthony Varvaro of Staten Island, who pitched for five years at the Major-League level before retiring after a season-ending knee injury last year, was among the graduates, as was Nicholas Farfalla, whose father and grandfather both served as PAPD officers.

PAPD officers are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the agency's land, sea, air and rail facilities, which include three major airports, four bi-state bridges and two tunnels, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the PATH rail system, the regional ports in New York and New Jersey and the 16-acre World Trade Center site.