Body of evidence
Cop academy sgt. ripped for affair with recruit
A hard-bodied NYPD Police Academy phys ed instructor with a soft spot for a much younger police recruit could face departmental charges for his extramarital workouts, the Daily News has learned.
For more than two decades, Sgt. Michael Anderson, 51, has whipped new NYPD recruits into shape to prepare them for the physical fitness test they must pass to graduate from the academy.
But now Anderson has been transferred from the academy in College Point, Queens, to a transit command elsewhere in the borough after word of the married man’s affair spread.
“He has to know better,” one source said. “He’s been around forever and she’s a rookie.”
The NYPD said in a statement to the Daily News that the “incident is under internal review.”
Anderson remains on full duty but could still face discipline, including departmental charges.
Anderson’s 26-year-old NYPD paramour wasn’t even born when he joined the force 32 years ago. And a second source indicated Anderson was less than discreet about his affair, giving the young woman favorable treatment at the academy — once even feeding her a brownie in front of others.
A cop who knows Anderson said the hard-charging sergeant, while straight out of a boot camp movie like “Full Metal Jacket,” failed to practice the self-control and discipline he preaches.
“She should know it’s against the rules, but he’s the supervisor,” the cop said of the pair.
Anderson’s transfer has sparked an outcry, with more than 700 supporters signing a petition on change.org to have him reinstated at the academy — though it’s unclear if many are aware of the unsavory backstory behind his transfer.
“Sgt. Anderson was an asset to the NYPD Police Academy,” the petition reads. “His ability to motivate recruits to better themselves is a trait that is unique and difficult to find. He led by example, expecting nothing but the best from himself and the people that he trained.”
One signee called him “the face of police training” while another noted the “tough love” Anderson used to help a 360-pound recruit drop 85 pounds before the final fitness exam.
“Most people would have let him fail,” the supporter added. “Sgt. Anderson rode behind him on the final run on a bicycle motivating him to finish. And he passed.”
“It just won’t be the same without him,” another supporter wrote. “Who else would have you do PT [physical training] outside on a solid sheet of ice in the dead of winter!!!”
Others said he has wit as well as toughness.
“Told me my first day in academy Nintendo is not a sport,” a former recruit wrote.
“Never laughed so hard in my life. The academy needs him believe me.”
Anderson landed in hot water when other recruits called the Internal Affairs Bureau after learning the sergeant was seeing the young woman, a member of the academy class that started in January and graduates this summer, said sources.
The recruit marked her 26th birthday this month and began dating Anderson when she was an NYPD cadet enrolled in college, sources said.
NYPD rules prohibit relationships between recruits and the instructors whose evaluations will determine their futures.
The recruit was not disciplined, but sources said her relationship with a married supervisor will saddle her with a hard-to-shake reputation.
Anderson is hardly shy about showing off his physique, appearing shirtless in countless social media postings, including one in which he does 10 pushups and jumps — in the snow.
Three years ago he took a two-week course at the Army Physical Fitness School at Fort Jackson, S.C., with plans to use his experience to assist NYPD recruits, according to the Army website.
Neither Anderson nor the recruit responded to requests for comment.