New York City Police Department

| lockuptype = Department of Corrections

| vehicle1type = Police vehicle

| vehicles1 = 9,624

| boat1type = Police boat

| boats1 = 29

| aircraft1type = Helicopter

| aircraft1 = 8

| animal1type = Horse

| animals1 = 35

| animal2type = K-9 unit

| animals2 = 34

| website =

The City of New York Police Department, also known as the New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, municipal police departments in the United States.

The NYPD is headquartered at 1 Police Plaza, located on Park Row in Lower Manhattan near City Hall. The NYPD's regulations are compiled in title 38 of the New York City Rules. Dedicated units of the NYPD include the Emergency Service Unit, K-9, harbor patrol, highway patrol, air support, bomb squad, counterterrorism, criminal intelligence, anti-organized crime, narcotics, mounted patrol, public transportation, and public housing units. Unlike in other towns and cities, it is not the fire department but the NYPD that has responsibility for emergency water rescue.

The NYPD employs more than 40,000 people, including more than 30,000 police officers as of September 2023. According to the official CompStat database, the NYPD responded to nearly 500,000 reports of crime and made more than 200,000 arrests during 2019. In 2020, it had a budget of . However, the NYPD's actual spending often exceeds its budget.

The NYPD's history has been colored by police brutality, corruption, and misconduct, which critics argue persists till the present day. Due to its high-profile location in New York City, the largest city and media center in the U.S., fictionalized versions of the NYPD and its officers have frequently been portrayed in novels, radio, television, motion pictures, and video games.300px|thumb|NYPD Police officer in uniform at [[United States women's national soccer team|the US Women's Soccer Team ticker-tape parade in 2019]]

History

The Municipal Police were established in 1845, replacing an old night watch system. Mayor William Havemeyer shepherded the NYPD together. The NYPD appointed its first Black officer in 1911 and the first female officer in 1918.

thumb|NYPD sergeant searching a cruiser covered in debris during the [[September 11 attacks]]

During Richard Enright's tenure as commissioner, the country's first Shomrim Society, a fraternal organization of Jewish police officers, was founded in the NYPD in 1924. At the time, the NYPD had 700 Jewish officers on the force.

In 1961, highly decorated NYPD officer Mario Biaggi, later a US Congressman, became the first police officer in New York State to be made a member of the National Police Officers Hall of Fame. In the mid-1980s, the NYPD began to police street-level drug markets much more intensively, leading to a sharp increase in incarceration.

In 1992, Mayor David Dinkins created an independent Civilian Complaint Review Board for the NYPD. In response to this, some NYPD officers violently protested and rioted. They blocked traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge, demonstrated at City Hall and shouted racial epithets. Research is mixed on whether CompStat had an impact on crime rates. Throughout the mid to late 1990s, several mergers took place which changed the landscape of policing in New York City. The New York City Transit Police and the New York City Housing Authority Police Department merged into the NYPD in 1995, becoming the Transit Bureau and Housing Bureau respectively. In 1996, the New York City Department of Transportation's Traffic Operations Bureau was merged into the NYPD, becoming the Transportation Bureau. In 1998, the New York City Department of Education's School Safety Division became part of the NYPD's Community Affairs Bureau.

In 2021, the NYPD ceased enforcement of marijuana crimes other than driving under the influence.

In 2024, the NYPD changed its motto from "Courtesy, Professionalism, Respect" to "Fighting Crime, Protecting the Public".

Organization and structure

The department is administered and governed by the police commissioner, who is appointed by the mayor. Technically, the commissioner serves a five-year term; as a practical matter, they serve at the mayor's pleasure. The commissioner in turn appoints the first deputy commissioner, numerous deputy commissioners, and the chief of department (the most senior uniformed officer). By default, the commissioner and their subordinate deputies are civilians under an oath of office and are not sworn officers. However, a commissioner who comes up from the sworn ranks retains the status and statutory powers of a police officer while serving as commissioner. This affects their police pensions, and their ability to carry a firearm without a pistol permit. Some police commissioners carry a personal firearm but also have a full-time security detail. Commissioners and deputy commissioners are administrators who specialize in areas of great importance to the Department, such as counterterrorism, support services, public information, legal matters, intelligence, and information technology. However, as civilian administrators, deputy commissioners are prohibited from taking operational control of a police situation (the commissioner and the first deputy commissioner may take control of these situations, however). Within the rank structure, there are also designations, known as "grades", that connote differences in duties, experience, and pay. However, supervisory functions are generally reserved for the rank of sergeant and above.

Office of the Chief of Department

The chief of department serves as the senior sworn member of the NYPD. Before 1987, the rank was known as the chief of operations; before that title, as chief inspector. Michael LiPetri currently serves as chief of department.

Previous chiefs of department

John Timoney, 1994–1995
Louis R. Anemone, 1995–1999 (Originally instituted weekly CompStat meetings, which started in the Chief of Patrol's office; Anemone was Chief of Patrol from 1994 to 1995; CompStat moved to the Chief of Department's office when William Bratton promoted Anemone to Chief of Department where it remains today in the Crime Control Strategies Unit office under the Chief's command.)
Joseph Dunne, 1999–2000
Joseph Esposito, 2000–2013 (Longest-serving chief of department in history)
Philip Banks, 2013–2014
James O'Neill, 2014–2016
Carlos M. Gomez, 2016–2017
Terence Monahan, 2018–2021
Rodney Harrison, 2021
Kenneth Corey, 2022
Jeffrey Maddrey, 2022–2024
John Chell, 2025
Michael LiPetri, 2025–present

Chief of department's Crime Control Strategies Bureau chiefs

Jack Maple, First person to be created Deputy Commissioner of Operations and Crime Control Strategies (1994–1996), worked under Anemone and Timoney
Edward Norris, Deputy Commissioner (1996–2000)
Garry McCarthy, Deputy Commissioner (2000–2006)
Phil Pulaski, Deputy Commissioner (2006–2009)
Patrick Timlin, Deputy Commissioner (2010–2012)
John Bilich, Deputy Commissioner (2012–2014)
Dermot Shea, Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Crime Control Strategies (2014–2018)
Lori Pollack, Chief of Crime Control Strategies (2018–2019)
Francis Giordano, Chief of Crime Control Strategies (2025–present)

Bureaus

The department is divided into 20 bureaus which are typically commanded by a uniformed bureau chief (such as the chief of patrol and the chief of housing) or a civilian deputy commissioner (such as the Deputy Commissioner of Information Technology). The bureaus fit under four umbrellas: Patrol, Transit & Housing, Investigative, and Administrative. Bureaus are often subdivided into smaller divisions and units. All deputy commissioners report directly to the commissioner and bureau chiefs report to the commissioner through the chief of department.

File: New York Police Department officers.jpg|Officers from the Emergency Service Unit

File: NYPD police boat, Brooklyn Bridge and Downtown Brooklyn at sunset.JPG|Police boat patrolling the East River

File:NYPD police motorcycle.png|A Highway Patrol officer speaks with a passerby

File:NYPD One Police Plaza.JPG|1 Police Plaza, NYPD headquarters

|NYPD's Critical Response Command protects high-profile terrorist targets including the NYC residence of former President Donald Trump.

</gallery>

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! Bureau !! Commanding officer !! Description !! Subdivisions

| Patrol Services Bureau || Chief of Patrol || The Patrol Services Bureau oversees most of the NYPD's uniformed patrol officers. This is the largest bureau. It is under the command of the Chief of Patrol.|| There are eight borough commands (Manhattan North & South, Brooklyn North & South, Queens North & South, Staten Island, and The Bronx), with each command headed by an assistant chief. These are further divided into 78 police precincts, which are commanded by a captain, deputy inspector, or inspector; depending on size.

| Special Operations Bureau || Chief of Special Operations || The Special Operations Bureau Manages NYPD responses to major events and incidents that require specifically trained and equipped personnel. It is under the command of the Chief of Special Operations.|| The Special Operations Bureau is responsible for the Emergency Service Unit, Aviation Unit, Harbor Unit, Mounted Unit, Strategic Response Group, Crisis Outreach and Support Unit.

| Transit Bureau || Chief of Transit || The Transit Bureau Oversees NYPD transit officers in the New York City Subway. It is under the command of the Chief of Transit.|| This Bureau is responsible for 12 transit districts, each located within or adjacent to the subway system, and overseen by three borough commands: Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Bronx/Queens. Specialized units within the Transit Bureau include Borough Task Forces, Anti-Terrorism Unit, Citywide Vandals Task Force, Canine Unit, Special Projects Unit, and MetroCard Fraud Task Force.

| Housing Bureau || Chief of Housing || The Housing Bureau Oversees law enforcement within New York City public housing. It is under the command of the Chief of Housing.|| There are nine police service areas, each covering a collection of housing developments.

| Transportation Bureau || Chief of Transportation || The Transportation Bureau Manages highway patrol and traffic management in New York City. It is under the command of the Chief of Transportation.|| Traffic Management Center, Highway District, Traffic Operations District, Traffic Enforcement District

| Counterterrorism Bureau || Deputy Chief of Counterterrorism || The Counterterrorism Bureau counters, investigates, analyzes, and prevents terrorism in New York City. It is under the command of the Deputy Chief of Counterterrorism, who is subordinate to the Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism. || Critical Response Command, Counterterrorism Division, Terrorism Threat Analysis Group, Lower Manhattan Security Initiative, World Trade Center Command

| Crime Control Strategies Bureau || Chief of Crime Control Strategies || The Crime Control Strategies Bureau oversees the analysis and monitoring of trends across New York City, develops strategies targeted to reduce crime, and applies strategies to the NYPD. It is under the command of the Chief of Crime Control Strategies || CompStat Unit, Crime Analysis Unit

| Detective Bureau || Chief of Detectives || The Detectives Bureau oversees NYPD detectives. The Detectives are in charge of preventing, detecting, and investigating crime in New York City. It is under the command of the Chief of Detectives. || Borough Investigative Commands, Special Victims Division, Forensic Investigations Division, Special Investigations Division, Criminal Enterprise Division, Fugitive Enforcement Division, Real Time Crime Center, District Attorneys Squad, Grand Larceny Division, Gun Violence Suppression Division, Vice Enforcement Division

| Intelligence Bureau || Assistant Chief of Intelligence || The Intelligence Bureau oversees the collection and analysis of data to detect and disrupt criminal and terrorist activity in New York City. It is under the command of the Assistant Chief of Intelligence, who is subordinate to the Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism. || Intelligence Operations and Analysis Section, Criminal Intelligence Section

| Internal Affairs Bureau || Chief of Internal Affairs || The Internal Affairs Bureau investigates police misconduct within the NYPD. It is under the command of the Chief of Internal Affairs. || N/A

| Employee Relations || Deputy Commissioner of Employee Relations || Employee Relations oversees the fraternal, religious, and line organizations of the NYPD, as well as ceremonial customs. It is under the command of the Deputy Commissioner of Employee Relations. || Employee Relations Section, Chaplains Unit, Ceremonial Unit, Sports Unit

| Operations || Deputy Commissioner of Operations || The Operations Bureau oversees the Operations Division and the NYPD Joint Operations Center which monitors all police-related incidents citywide. They coordinate combined-operations with various City, State, and Federal agencies to during large-scale or catastrophic events. They plan exercises with inter-agency partners to assess responses to potential threats like terror attacks, active shooter situations, and natural disasters. It is under the command of the Deputy Commissioner of Operations.|| Operations Division, NYPD Joint Operations Center

| Community Affairs Bureau || Deputy Commissioner of Community Affairs || The Community Affairs Bureau works with community leaders, civic organizations, block associations, and the public to educate on police policies and practices; it is also responsible for NYPD officers in schools and investigates juvenile delinquency. It is under the command of the Deputy Commissioner of Community Affairs.|| Community Outreach Division, Crime Prevention Division, Juvenile Justice Division, School Safety Division

| Information Technology Bureau || Chief of Information Technology || The Information Technology Bureau oversees the maintenance, research, development, and implementation of technology to support strategies, programs, and procedures within the NYPD. It is under the command of the Chief of Information Technology. || Administration, Fiscal Affairs, Strategic Technology, IT Services Division, Life-Safety Systems, Communications Division

| Legal Matters || Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters || The Legal Matters Bureau assists NYPD personnel regarding department legal matters; controversially, it has a memorandum of understanding with the Manhattan District Attorney to selectively prosecute New York City Criminal Court summons and court cases. It is under the command of the Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters.|| Civil Enforcement Unit, Criminal Section, Civil Section, Legislative Affairs Unit, Document Production/FOIL, Police Action Litigation Section

| Personnel || Chief of Personnel || The Personnel Bureau oversees the recruitment and selection of personnel, as well as managing the human resource functions of the NYPD. It is under the command of the Chief of Personnel.|| Candidate Assessment Division, Career Enhancement Division, Employee Management Division, Personnel Orders Section, Staff Services Section

| Public Information || Deputy Commissioner of Public Information || Public Information works with media organizations to provide information to the public. It is under the command of the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.|| Digital Communications Section, Public Information Section

| Professional Standards|| Chief of Professional Standards || Professional Standards oversees the performance of police officers and identifies officers who may require enhanced training or supervision. It is under the command of the Chief of Professional Standards. || Enterprise Risk Management Section, Enterprise Risk Management Civilian Complaint Stat Unit, Enterprise Risk Management Early Intervention Unit

| Strategic Initiatives|| Deputy Commissioner of Strategic Initiatives || Strategic Initiatives oversees data analysis, department policies, strategic development and the publishing of the department manual which is composed of the Patrol, Administrative, Organization, and Detective Guides. It is under the command of the Deputy Commissioner of Strategic Initiatives.||Office of Management Analysis and Planning (OMAP), Management Orders and Directives Section (MODS), Management Analysis Section (MAS), Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE), Project Management Office (PMO)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin:auto;"

!Rank

!Insignia

!Badge design

!Badge color

!Badge number

!Uniform

|Police Commissioner

|center|135px

| rowspan="6" |center|frameless|155x155px With requisite number of stars and rank

| rowspan="7" |Gold, with silver star(s)

| rowspan="11" |No

| rowspan="2" |No uniform

|First Deputy Commissioner

|center|108px

|Chief of Department

|center|108px

| rowspan="5" |White shirt, dark blue peaked cap,

velvet cap band, gold hat badge,

five gold leaves each side of the cap visor

| Deputy Commissioner (has no operational command; however, has a rank equivalent to a bureau chief)

|center|81px

|Bureau Chief & Bureau Chief Chaplain †

|center|81px

|Assistant Chief & Assistant Chief Chaplain †

|center|54px

|Deputy Chief & Deputy Chief Chaplain †

|center|27px

|center|151x151px|framelessChaplain and Surgeon badges differ

|Inspector & Chaplain †

|center|50px

|center|151x151px|framelessChaplain and Surgeon badges differ

| rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;"|Gold

| rowspan="2" |White shirt, dark blue peaked cap,

velvet cap band, gold hat badge,

|Deputy Inspector

|center|30px

|center|185x185px|frameless

|Captain

|center|25px

|center|186x186px|frameless

| rowspan="2" |White shirt, peaked cap,

striped black cap band, gold hat badge

|Lieutenant

|center|10px(shoulder & collar)

|130px

|Sergeant

|center|35px (sleeve)

|135px

| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Yes

| rowspan="2" |Navy blue shirt, peaked cap, gold hat badge

|Detective

| rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"|None

|100px

|Officer

|rowspan=3|100px

| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"|Silver

| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Yes, matching hat badge

| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Navy blue shirt, peaked cap, silver hat badge with matching number

|Probationary Officer ("probie")

|Recruit

| style="text-align:center;"|Yes

|style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"|Slate grey, black garrison cap

|Cadet

| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"|None

Department composition

As of October 2023, the NYPD's current authorized uniformed strength is 33,536. There are also 19,454 civilian employees, including approximately 3,500 traffic enforcement agents, 4,500 auxiliary police officers, and 5,500 school safety agents, are presently employed by the department as well as being deployed on the streets. The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York (NYC PBA), the largest municipal police union in the United States, represents more than 50,000 active and retired police officers.

The entire police force in 2023: 47% are white and 53% are members of minority groups.

Of 21,603 officers on patrol:

43% are non-Hispanic white
57% are black, Latino (of any race), or Asian or Asian-American.

Of 5,164 detectives:

52% are non-Hispanic white
48% are black, Latino (of any race), or Asian or Asian-American.

Of 4,376 sergeants:

52% are non-Hispanic white
48% are black, Latino (of any race), or Asian or Asian-American.

Of 1,635 lieutenants:

59% are non-Hispanic white
41% are black, Latino (of any race), or Asian or Asian-American.

Of 360 captains:

62% are non-Hispanic white
38% are black, Latino (of any race), or Asian or Asian-American.

Of 101 police chiefs:

57% are non-Hispanic white and
43% are non-white.

Place of residence

As a rule, NYPD officers can reside in New York City as well as Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Suffolk and Nassau counties; approximately half of the sworn force lives outside the city (51% in 2020, up from 42% in 2016). Notably, NYPD officers cannot have their permanent place of residence in neighbouring Northern New Jersey, despite many of the region's residents commuting to NYC for jobs.

Women in the NYPD

On January 1, 2022, Keechant Sewell became the first woman to serve as the NYPD Commissioner. Juanita N. Holmes, appointed Chief of the Patrol Bureau in 2020, was the first black woman to hold this command and at the time of her appointment, was the highest-ranked uniformed woman in the NYPD. On June 12, 2023, Sewell announced that she was stepping down as commissioner. No reason was given for her departure.

On November 25, 2024, Mayor Eric Adams appointed Jessica Tisch as the NYPD commissioner. She is the second woman to serve in the job.

Line of duty deaths

The NYPD has lost 932 officers in the line of duty since 1849. This figure includes officers from agencies that were later absorbed by or became a part of the modern NYPD, in addition to the NYPD itself. This number also includes 28 officers killed on and off duty by gunfire of other officers on duty. Gunfire from adversaries has resulted in the deaths of 286 officers. The NYPD lost 23 officers in the September 11, 2001, attacks, not including another 247 who later died of 9/11-related illnesses. The NYPD has had more line-of-duty deaths than any other American law enforcement agency.

In 2019, the NYPD responded to 482,337 reports of crime and made 214,617 arrests.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|+Reported number of major felony offenses

!Crime

!1990

!2000

!2010

!2019

|- style="text-align: right"

! style="text-align: left" |Murder

|2,262

|673

|536

|319

|- style="text-align: right"

! style="text-align: left" |Rape

|3,126

|2,068

|1,373

|1,755

|- style="text-align: right"

! style="text-align: left" |Robbery

|100,280

|32,562

|19,486

|13,371

|- style="text-align: right"

! style="text-align: left" |Assault

|44,122

|25,924

|16,956

|20,696

|- style="text-align: right"

! style="text-align: left" |Burglary

|122,055

|38,352

|18,600

|10,783

|- style="text-align: right"

! style="text-align: left" |Larceny

|108,487

|49,631

|37,835

|43,250

|- style="text-align: right"

! style="text-align: left" |Auto theft

|146,925

|35,442

|10,329

|5,430

|- style="text-align: right"

! style="text-align: left" |Total

!527,257

!184,652

!105,115

!95,606

Public opinion

thumb|Public approval of the NYPD over time

The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute has been regularly measuring public opinion of the NYPD since 1997 when just under 50% of the public approved of the job the NYPD was doing. Approval peaked at 78% in 2002 following the World Trade Center terrorist attacks in September 2001, and has ranged between 52 and 72% since. Approval varies by race/ethnicity, with black and Hispanic respondents consistently less likely to say they approve of the job the NYPD is doing than whites.

A 2020 poll commissioned by Manhattan Institute for Policy Research reported that the public approved of the NYPD 53% to 40% against, again with strong racial differences: 59% of whites and Asians approved, as did 51% of Hispanics, whereas 51% of black residents disapproved.

Brutality, corruption, and misconduct cases

The NYPD has a long history of police brutality, corruption, and misconduct as well as discrimination based on gender, race, and religion. Critics, including from within the NYPD, have accused the NYPD of manipulating crime statistics. In 2009, NYPD officer Adrian Schoolcraft was arrested, abducted by his fellow officers and involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital after he provided evidence of manipulation of crime statistics (intentional under reporting of crimes) and intentional wrongful arrests (to meet arrest quotas). He filed a federal suit against the department, which the city settled before trial in 2015, also giving him back pay for the period when he was suspended.

The Knapp Commission found in 1970 that the NYPD had systematic corruption problems. The Civilian Complaint Review Board is a civilian-led 13-member panel tasked with investigating misconduct or lesser abuse accusations against NYPD officers, including abuse of authority, discourtesy, excessive use-of-force, and offensive language. Complaints against officers may be filed online, by mail, by phone, or in person at any NYPD station. On June 8, 2020, both houses of the New York state assembly passed the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act, which provides that any police officer in the state of New York who injures or kills somebody through the use of "a chokehold or similar restraint" can be charged with a class C felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. New York governor Andrew Cuomo signed the police reforms into law on June 12, 2020, which he described as "long overdue". During the George Floyd protests, The New York Times reported that more than 60 videos showed NYPD police attacking protesters, many of whom were attacked without cause. Included in these attacks were the 'kettling' of protesters, an officer removing the mask of a protester and pepper spraying him, and an incident where police vehicles were driven into a crowd. An investigation by New York City's Department of Investigation concluded that the NYPD had exercised excessive force during the George Floyd protests.

In 2024, the NYPD tossed out more than 400 civilian complaints about police misconduct without reviewing the evidence. All of the cases had been investigated by the Civilian Complaint Review Board. In March, NYPD commissioner Edward Caban said that the force had exceeded its overtime budget by $100 million, spending $2.5 million a week on overtime alone amid political demonstrations throughout the city and increased deployments in the subway system. Police overtime spending went from $4 million in 2022 to $155 million in 2023. In September, the NYPD was also accused of extorting a Brooklyn bar owner. The owner said that associate director Ray Martin of the mayor's Office of Entertainment and Nightlife told him that he could pay Commissioner Caban's brother for better treatment from police. Caban resigned his commission shortly after, following a federal investigation into the NYPD's nightclub enforcement. Three days before resigning, Caban watered down the NYPD's misconduct rules, reducing penalties for officers "guilty of abusing authority, using offensive language, failing to take a civilian complaint, and conducting an unlawful search." The NYPD has been persistently criticized by safe streets community advocates for endangering cyclists by parking their vehicles in bike lanes, and for misapplying the law when ticketing cyclists riding outside blocked bike lanes. According to a 2021 FiveThirtyEight analysis, New York City spent at least an average of US$170 million annually in settlements related to police misconduct over ten years.

Between 2023 and 2024, Lieutenant Thomas Fabrizi stole $64,000 in overtime compensation for shifts he spent at home and working for McCann Protective Services, a security contractor.

In December 2024, the Chief of Internal Affairs, Miguel Iglesias, was forced out amid criticism of his handling of sexual abuse allegations against former Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, prompting a leadership shake-up and a department-wide personnel review.

Technology

In the 1990s, the NYPD developed a CompStat system of management which has also since been established in other cities. The NYPD has extensive crime scene investigation and laboratory resources, as well as units that assist with computer crime investigations. In 2005, the NYPD established a "Real Time Crime Center" to assist in investigations; This is essentially a searchable database that pulls information from departmental records, including traffic tickets, court summonses, and previous complaints to reports, as well as arrest reports. The Domain Awareness System of surveillance was developed as part of Lower Manhattan Security Initiative in a partnership between the NYPD and Microsoft. It allows the NYPD to track surveillance targets and gain detailed information about them. It also has access to data from at least 2 billion license plate readings, 100 million summonses, 54 million 911 calls, 15 million complaints, 12 million detective reports, 11 million arrests, and 2 million warrants. The 9,000 CCTV cameras consist of data text records that will be kept for 30 days. The system is connected to 9,000 video cameras across New York City.

In 2020, the NYPD deployed a robotic dog, known as Digidog, manufactured by Boston Dynamics. The robotic dog has cameras which send back real-time footage along with lights and two-way communication, and it is able to navigate on its own using artificial intelligence. On April 24, 2021, U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres proposed new federal legislation requiring police departments receiving federal funds to report use of surveillance technology to the Department of Homeland Security and Congress. The NYPD states that the robot is meant for hostage, terrorism, bomb threat, and hazardous material situations, and that it was properly disclosed to the public under current law. In April 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced the revival of the Digidog program in a reversal of his predecessor Bill de Blasio, saying "Digidog is out of the pound." Two robots were purchased at that time for a total of $750,000 using funds from asset forfeiture.

Surveillance Practices

The NYPD has deployed a wide range of surveillance technologies and strategies, many of which have drawn criticism from civil liberties organizations, residents and public health experts. Scholars have traced the roots of radicalized surveillance in New York City back to the 18th century, when colonial "lantern laws" required Black, mixed-race, and Indigenous enslaved people to carry candle lanterns if they walked through the city after sunset without a white companion Any white person was authorized to stop those who did not comply.Simon Brown a professor of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, has argued that these latter laws established a legal framework for surveillance practices that continued into the modern era, including the NYPD's policing of public housing.

Omnipresence Program

In 2014, the NYPD launched a strategy called "Omnipresence," which deployed officers as stationary sentries and installed high-intensity floodlights powered by diesel generators across public housing developments in neighborhoods such as Brownsville, Brooklyn. Residents describe the lights shining into their apartments and the constant noise from the generators. One resident told "VICE" that "the lights shine into people's rooms making it hard for them to sleep." MAP included the installation of over 13,000 CCTV cameras, layered access control doors, and permanent LED lighting at NYCHA sires across the city. The city reported an 11.2 percent drop in violent crime at MAP developments between fiscal years 2014 and 2015, with shootings down 14. 7 percent. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the floodlights led to a 36 percent reduction in nighttime outdoor index crimes, including assault, robbery, and motor vehicle theft, over a six-month period.

Facial Recognition and Surveillance Infrastructure

A 2019 report by the Brennan Center for Justice catalogued 15 categories of surveillance technology acquired by the NYPD, many without public disclosure or the New York City Council's oversight. These include facial recognition systems, video analytics developed in partnership with IBM that could search surveillance footage by perceived skin tone, cell site simulators which have been used in over 1,000 investigations, automatic license plate readers with access to a database of over 2.2 billion reads, a DNA database containing over 82,000 genetic profiles, predictive policing algorithms, social media monitoring tools, x-ray vans, drone, and SkyWatch surveillance towers. The Brennan Center report noted that the NYPD's Facial Identification Section runs static photos against databases that include arrest photos of children as young as 11, and when that footage is blurry, investigators have used photo editing tools and even celebrity photos to generate potential matches. The platform allows private businesses to voluntarily share their security camera feeds with local NYPD precincts in real time. During the first 60 days, the NYPD used intelligence gathered through the program to close a citywide burglary pattern involving 15 incidents.

Civil liberties organizations have raised concerns about the growth of public-private surveillance partnerships. The Brennan Center report noted that the extent to which the NYPD shares surveillance data with federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), remains unknown. All duty handguns were previously modified to a 12-pound (53 N) NY-2 trigger pull, though recruits were being issued handguns with a lighter trigger pull as of 2021. Approved off-duty firearms are Springfield XD-S, Glock 26, and Sig Sauer P365.

The Smith & Wesson 5946 and Sig Sauer P226 semi-automatic 9mm pistol with double action only (DAO) trigger, were issued to recruits in the past; however, those models are no longer issued, with the Smith & Wesson model being discontinued. While it is no longer an option for new hires, officers who were issued the weapons may continue to use them. Shotgun-certified officers were authorized to carry Ithaca 37 shotguns, which are being phased out in favor of the newer Mossberg 590. Officers and detectives belonging to the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit, Counter-terrorism Bureau and Strategic Response Group are armed with a range of select-fire weapons and long guns, such as the Colt M4A1 carbine and similar-pattern Colt AR-15 rifles, Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun, and the Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle. NYPD ESU Officers also use the Ruger Mini-14 chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO.

Discontinued handguns

From 1926 until 1986, the standard sidearms of the department were the Smith & Wesson Model 10 and the Colt Official Police .38 Special revolvers with four-inch barrels. Female officers had the option to choose to carry a three-inch barrel revolver instead of the normal four-inch model due to its lighter weight. Before 1994, the standard sidearm of the NYPD was the Smith & Wesson Model 64 DAO, a .38 Special revolver with a three- or four-inch barrel, and the Ruger Police Service-Six with a four-inch barrel. This type of revolver was called the Model NY-1 by the department. After the switch in 1994 to semi-automatic pistols, officers who privately purchased revolvers before January 1, 1994, were allowed to use them for duty use until August 31, 2018. They were grandfathered in as approved off-duty guns. The department also operates the Citizens Police Academy, which educates the public on basic law and policing procedures.

References

External links

Police Department in the Rules of the City of New York
"With the Sky Police", Popular Mechanics, January 1932 article about the NY City Police Air Force and the Keystone-Loening Commuter in service at that time, photos pp. 26–30
NYPD Annual Reports 1912–1923 (digitized books) from the Lloyd Sealy Library on the Internet Archive
Historical images from the NYPD Annual Reports, 1923–23 from the Lloyd Sealy Library Digital Collections

New York City Police Department

History

Organization and structure

Office of the Chief of Department

Previous chiefs of department

Chief of department's Crime Control Strategies Bureau chiefs

Bureaus

Department composition

Place of residence

Women in the NYPD

Line of duty deaths

Public opinion

Brutality, corruption, and misconduct cases

Technology

Surveillance Practices

Omnipresence Program

Facial Recognition and Surveillance Infrastructure

Discontinued handguns

See also

References

Further reading

External links