N.J. is seeking State Police recruits, but applications are ‘historically low,’ officials say Updated 4:00 PM; Today 4:00 PM Members of the 161st New Jersey State Police Class parade during the graduation ceremony at the Prudential Center in Newark on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media Facebook Share The problem is especially acute for the state’s largest agency. In some years the State Police would field between 15,000 and 20,000 applicants, according to Col. Patrick Callahan, the department’s acting superintendent. But they only had a “historically low” 2,023 qualified applicants as of Thursday, about a week before deadline, Callahan said. Leaders have repeatedlyasked more to apply.