The Puerto Rico Police Bureau recruited 130 new cadets for its next academy class and expects to bring in 1,000 new officers this fiscal year, Recruitment Director Félix Burgos Guzmán said on Sunday, November 8, at La Fortaleza’s weekly press conference, "Asunto Semanal." The 130 cadets, class 238A, join the Puerto Rico Police Academy on Monday, and all have at least a high school diploma.
Burgos Guzmán said that, through efforts by Police Superintendent Joseph González, the force now has 17 polygraph examiners, up from three in 2025 (in Yauco, Aibonito and San Juan). Fourteen were added through a call for applicants. He said this has sped up recruitment, and many applicants now take three to four months to complete the process.
La Fortaleza reported more than 800 applicants are currently under evaluation, and more than 100 candidates take entrance exams each week. The base salary rose to $2,293 a month for cadets and $3,612 a month for officers. This year the recruitment age was lowered to 18, in line with Law 65 of 2021.
New, more flexible rules also allow candidates to have tattoos and beards, as long as they are not vulgar. Cadets are now being recruited from Bayamón, Carolina and San Juan, not only from towns far from the metro area. As of October 31 the Police had 10,900 officers, and Burgos Guzmán estimated the ideal number for Puerto Rico at about 14,000.
Last fiscal year, which ended June 30, brought 603 new cadets, the most in 10 years. This year’s goal is 1,000, which the budget covers.