New York City Police Department

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The New York City Police Department is the largest police department in the United States, the largest municipal police force in the world, and has the primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City. When created in 1845, it was modeled after London's Metropolitan Police. The NYPD is considered to be the first "modern" style police department in the United States.^{[citation needed]} The NYPD boasts a broad array of specialized services, offering expertise in tactical operations, K-9, marine/diving, aviation (helicopters), bomb disposal, counter-terrorism, intelligence, anti-gang, narcotics, public transportation, and public housing. NYPD has extensive crime scene investigation and laboratory resources, as well as units which assist with computer crime investigations. NYPD even hired a physician to advise it on bioterrorism and chemical terrorism threats. NYPD stations officers in foreign cities to monitor potential threats to New York.

According to the department, its mission is to "enforce the laws, preserve the peace, reduce fear, and provide for a safe environment." Primarily, this involves preventing and responding to crime.

The New York City Transit Police and Housing Police were fully integrated into the NYPD in 1995; some new police officers are randomly assigned to the Transit and Housing units. Members of the NYPD are frequently referred to by the nickname New York's Finest. The NYPD is headquartered at One Police Plaza located on Park Row across the street from City Hall.

The size of the force has fluctuated, depending on crime rates, politics, and available funding. The overall trend, however, shows that the number of sworn officers is decreasing. In June 2004, there were about 40,000 sworn officers plus several thousand support staff; In June 2005, that number dropped to 35,000.^{[citation needed]} The NYPD's current authorized uniformed strength is 37,038, which is scheduled to increase to 37,838 in January 2007 ([1]).

Contents 1 History 1.1 Successes 1.2 Difficulties 1.3 Scandals and corruption 2 Salary and retention issues 3 Organization 4 Ranks of the NYPD 5 Structure 5.1 Patrol Services 5.2 Patrol Boroughs 5.3 Police Precincts 6 Special Operations Division 6.1 Aviation Unit 6.2 Emergency Service Unit 6.3 Organized Crime Unit 6.4 Harbor Unit 6.5 Special Victims Squad 6.6 Major Case Squad 6.7 Taxi Squad 6.8 Task Forces 6.9 Movie and Television Unit 6.10 School Safety Division 6.11 School Safety Training Unit 6.12 Crime Statistics 6.13 Auxiliary Police 7 Crime Scene Unit 8 Transit Bureau 9 Housing Bureau 10 Highway Patrol 11 Line of Duty Deaths 12 NYPD Medals 13 Demographics 14 Affiliations 15 Fictional portrayals 16 See also 17 External links 18 References

[edit] History

The New York City Police Department was established in May of 1845, which along with the Boston Police Department, was among the first modern police forces in the United States. The NYPD was closely modeled after the Metropolitan Police Service in London, which in turn used a military-like organizational structure, with rank and order. Throughout the years, the NYPD has dealt with a number of riots in New York City, including the 1863 Draft Riots. Early in its history, the NYPD was used as political tool, with positions awarded by politicians to loyalists. Around the turn of the century, the NYPD began to professionalize under leadership of then Police Commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt. The Lexow Committee made some reform recommendations, suggesting a civil service system. The NYPD also began to emphasize training, and took advantage of technological innovations such as fingerprinting.

[edit] Successes

In recent years, the NYPD has overseen a great reduction in the amount of crime in the city. While there are many theories on why the city's and the nation's crime rate has dropped so substantially (see legalized abortion and crime effect and crime prevention through environmental design for examples of alternate theories) many credit the NYPD's CompStat (computerized database of crime statistics) approach. The Compstat program, introduced under then-Commissioner Bill Bratton and Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the 1990s, uses data about crime rates and arrests to evaluate police precincts and commands. COMPSTAT assists the department in understanding where most crimes occur, which allows them to dedicate extra resources to that area. Equally importantly, Compstat provides an objective framework for requiring accountability from police commanders. Other police departments have adopted the Compstat concept, including Philadelphia, and Kansas City, Missouri, where it is known as CSTARS. (Critics claim, relying on anecdotal evidence, that city officials deliberately misclassify reports or harass victims into not making reports to keep these numbers artificially low.) Other observers credit Mayor Giuliani's strategy to encourage the NYPD to crack down on minor "quality of life" crimes such as turnstile jumping, squeegee men, panhandling, etc. He believed that a crackdown on these types of crime would give the police an opportunity to search more suspects, thereby taking guns and drugs off the street and contribute to the public perception that New York City was a lawful environment where crime was not tolerated. Supporters of this approach say that the reduced crime rate shows his approach to be correct; however, others point to the nationwide reduction in crime over the same time period as evidence that demographic changes in the United States caused crime rates to drop, not NYPD specific approaches like COMPSTAT. The two views, however, are not mutually exclusive.

[edit] Difficulties

The economic downturn of the 1970s led to some extremely difficult times for the city. The Bronx, in particular, was plagued by arson, and an atmosphere of lawlessness permeated the city. In addition, the city's financial crisis led to a hiring freeze on all city departments, including the NYPD, from 1976 to 1980.

This was followed by the crack epidemic of the late 1980s and early 1990s that may have caused the city's homicide rate to soar to an all-time high. By 1990, New York set a record of 2,262 murders, a record that has yet to be broken by any US major city. Petty thefts associated with drug addiction were also increasingly common.

On September 11, 2001, 23 NYPD officers were killed when the World Trade Center collapsed due to terrorist attacks. More lives were lost that year than in any other year in the department's history.

Historically, the NYPD has suffered from numerous allegations of corruption. However, as the many commissions convened to inquire about these matters have shown, these instances of corruption reflect far greater on the individuals involved then they do on a systemic form of corruption. In fact, taking the instances of corruption statistically when compared to the sheer numbers of the department as a whole, the NYPD actually has a lower corruption rate than many other departments. Most commissions convened to inquire about the source of the corruption blame low morale, and chronically low salary, as largely contributing factors.

Gun control problems in the city came to the forefront during the last two weeks of 2005, when two officers were shot to death by criminals using illegal weapons. Most of these weapons come from the south, through Interstate 95 which has been called the "iron pipeline" [2].

[edit] Scandals and corruption

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The NYPD has been the focus of prominent scandals. Alleged misconduct is investigated by the Internal Affairs Division. From the mid 1990s to the early 2000s, corruption seemed to be less of a public concern than several instances of unnecessary or illegal use of force. Many of these incidents involved black victims, which led to allegations of racism within the department.

• In 1970, police officer Frank Serpico broke the Blue Wall of Silence and, along with other officers, testified before the Knapp Commission about the corruption he witnessed in the department. The Commission's findings led to sweeping changes within the department.^{[citation needed]}

• In August 1988, a riot erupted in Alphabet City's Tompkins Square Park in the East Village of Manhattan when police attempted to enforce a newly-passed curfew for the park. Bystanders, artists, residents, homeless people and political activists were caught up in the police action that took place on the night of August 6th and the early morning of August 7th. The event has become known as the Tompkins Square Park Police Riot.^[1]

• In 1993, Mayor David Dinkins appointed the Mollen Commission, chaired by Milton Mollen, to investigate corruption in the department. The commission found that "Today's corruption is not the corruption of Knapp Commission days. Corruption then was largely a corruption of accommodation, of criminals and police officers giving and taking bribes, buying and selling protection. Corruption was, in its essence, consensual. Today's corruption is characterized by brutality, theft, abuse of authority and active police criminality."^{[citation needed]}

• On December 22, 1994, 29-year old Anthony Baez was choked to death by Police Officer Francis X. Livoti in the University Heights section of the Bronx. In 1998 Livoti was convicted of violating Baez' civil rights, and two other officers were convicted of lying on the witness stand in the trial of Livoti.[3]

• On August 9, 1997, Police Officer Justin Volpe in Brooklyn brutalized Abner Louima with a broken broom handle in the 70th Precinct bathroom. Officer Volpe eventually pled guilty and received a sentence of 30 years in federal prison. Other officers were also implicated and convicted on charges stemming from the initial cover-up.^{[citation needed]}

• On February 4, 1999, members of the Street Crime Unit shot Amadou Bailo Diallo, an unarmed man who was standing in the lobby of a Bronx apartment building after not following police instructions. The officers fired 41 rounds, striking the man 19 times. [4]. The shooting stemmed from a misunderstanding in which officers believed Diallo was reaching for a weapon (he was reaching for his wallet which the officers had mistaken for a weapon) while a member of the unit tripped and appeared to be shot as he fell down the stairs. As a result, the four officers involved in the shooting were acquitted of wrongdoing on February 25, 2000.^{[citation needed]}

• On August 30, 1999, 31-year old Hasidic Jew Gidone Busch was fatally shot 12 to 14 times after he lunged at police with a hammer on a Boro Park, Brooklyn street. In 2003, a federal jury ruled the shooting justified.[5]

• On March 16, 2000, undercover narcotics detectives shot Patrick Dorismond to death during a scuffle on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. The detectives had approached Dorismond, an unarmed security guard, and asked to purchase drugs. He attacked the undercover officer, angry that he was seen as drug dealer and he was killed with one shot by the officer in self-defense.^{[citation needed]}

• On May 22, 2003, 43-year old Ousmane Zongo an immigrant from Burkina Faso was shot four times by Police Officer Bryan Conroy in a Chelsea warehouse. In 2005 Conroy was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to 5 years probation. In 2006 the city awarded the family of Zongo $3 million in a wrongful death suit.[6]

• On January 24, 2004, Housing Bureau officer Richard Neri, Jr. accidentally shot to death Timothy Stansbury, a 19-year-old black man who was trespassing on the roof landing of a Bedford-Stuyvesant housing project. Mr. Stansbury was unarmed but he apparently startled Officer Neri when he opened the roof door and came upon Neri. Neri discharged his service firearm mortally wounding Mr. Stansbury. Although Commissioner Kelly, in a rush to judgement in order to appease the black community, stated that the shooting appeared "unjustified", a Brooklyn jury found that no criminal act occurred and that the event was, in fact, a tragic accident. Officer Neri was cleared of all charges.[7]

• On December 17, 2005, an article in The New York Times revealed that it had obtained videotapes showing the New York Police Department conducting surveillance by planting undercover officers to secretly infiltrate and monitor anti-war protests, bike rallies, and even a vigil for a dead cyclist. The footage the Times obtained showed officers holding protest signs, carrying flowers with mourners, riding their bicycles – and videotaping people at events. [8]

• On November 25, 2006, police officers shot and killed an man outside of the Kalua Cabaret in Queens. The man was attending his bachelor party the night before his wedding. Sean Bell, drunk and driving a vehicle, rammed his vehicle into an undercover officer and hit an unmarked NYPD minivan, prompting undercover NYPD officers to fire fifty rounds into Bell's car. Bullets startled Port Authority police officers who were on a shuttle train to nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport.^{[citation needed]} An undercover officer claims he heard one of the unarmed man's companions threaten to get his gun to settle a fight with another person. [9]

[edit] Salary and retention issues

Pay for new officers fell precipitously in the latest contract negotiations as the result of a state arbitration panel judge's decree in 2005, During training, new hires earn $25,100 a year. Upon the completion of the Police Academy (six months), the annual salary increases to $32,700. Adjusted for inflation, this is the lowest pay in history for rookie NYPD cops. Given that conventional wisdom purports an inverse relationship between salary and corruption, as witnessed in jurisdictions such as New Orleans, the judicial decision to lower starting pay for new officers during the time they are most impressionable seems particularly unwise to many. Also, NYPD officers are expected to purchase virtually all of their own uniforms and equipment, an outlay that can easily run into thousands of dollars. In 2007, the Municipal Credit Union began issuing Visa credit cards to Police Academy recruits, as a way to borrow the money needed for mandatory equipment purchases.^[2]

Top pay for experienced officers is $59,588, not including overtime and other forms of compensation.^[3] Nearby departments pay considerably more, up to $50,000 for new hires or over $90,000 for experienced.^[4] Over the years, hundreds of city officers have left for higher paying jobs with other agencies, notably the Nassau County Police Department, the Suffolk County Police Department, and the Port Authority Police of New York and New Jersey.^[5] Discontent over pay issues has become so widespread and so well-known that higher-paying departments in lower cost-of-living areas, such as the Rochester, New York Police, are actively recruiting NYPD officers to join their forces.^[6]

Large numbers of NYPD officers have also migrated to the New York City Fire Department, where, even though pay is almost the same, work schedules are more attractive and relations with the public more amicable.^[7] Contract changes in 2006, however, now forbid the prior practice of allowing police officers who join the fire department to transfer their seniority for compensation purposes. With all new firefighters now compelled to begin working at the same starting pay, the number of NYPD officers "rolling over" to the FDNY is likely to fall considerably.^[8]

Some NYPD officers charge that the department's leadership is seeking to stem the flow of officers to other jurisdictions by administrative means.^[9] In January 2006, 35 NYPD officers seeking to move to the Port Authority Police sued the New York department, claiming that it was refusing to make their personnel records available to PAPD background investigators. The plaintiffs won an injunction at the trial level, but the Appellate Division in January 2007 overturned that ruling and ordered the case to trial.

For its part, the NYPD claims its actions are merely in line with the personnel practices of other employers and that there is no "stealth" effort to prevent officers from moving elsewhere. Nonetheless, it is a fact that no NYPD officers have been included in the last two PAPD police academy classes as a result.^[10]

Despite these obstacles, there are signs that the exodus from the NYPD may be accelerating. In 2006, 902 officers resigned before becoming eligible for retirement, on top of 867 who left in 2005 and 635 in 2004, which makes for an attrition rate of around two percent. While Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly insists that that figure compares positively with turnover rates in private industry, police union officials note that the proper comparison should be with prior years on the NYPD. In 1991, for example, only 159 officers left early, for an attrition rate of less than one half of one percent.^[11]

[edit] Organization

The NYPD is headed by the New York City Police Commissioner, a civilian administrator appointed by the Mayor of New York City, with the senior sworn uniformed member of the service titled "Chief of Department". The Police Commissioner appoints a number of Deputy and Assistant Commissioners. The Department is divided into 10 bureaus, each sub-divided into sections, departments and units, and into boroughs, precincts and squads. Each Bureau is commanded by a Bureau Chief (such as the Chief of Detectives or the Chief of Personnel). There are also a number of specialized units (such as the License Division and Compstat) that are not part of any of the Bureaus and report to the Chief of the Department or a Deputy Commissioner. The Bureaus are as follows.

• Reporting to the Commissioner:
  • Internal Affairs
• Reporting to the Chief of Department:
  • Patrol Services
  • Detective
  • Organized Crime Control
  • Transportation
  • Housing
• Reporting to the First Deputy Commissioner:
  • Support Services
  • Personnel
• Reporting to the Deputy Commissioner of Training:
  • Training
• Reporting to the Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters:
  • Criminal Justice
• Reporting to the Deputy Commissioner of Information Technology:
  • Communications Division
  • Management Information Systems Division

[edit] Ranks of the NYPD

There are eleven sworn uniformed ranks of the New York City Police Department:

• Police Officer (Note: The title "Patrolman" was phased out in the early 1970s)
• Detective (Note: considered to be the same rank as a Police Officer)
• Sergeant (symbol of rank: 3 chevrons)
• Lieutenant (symbol of rank: 1 gold bar)
• Captain (symbol of rank: 2 gold bars)
• Deputy Inspector (symbol of rank: gold oak leaf)
• Inspector (symbol of rank: gold eagle)
• Deputy Chief (symbol of rank: 1 gold star)
• Assistant Chief (symbol of rank: 2 gold stars)
• Bureau Chief (symbol of rank: 3 gold stars)
• Chief of Department (symbol of rank: 4 gold stars)

Additionally, there are two ranks that are not uniformed members of the department but are instead appointed by the Police Commissioner.

These individuals are administrators who supersede the Chief of Department, and they usually specialize in areas of great importance to the Department, such as counter-terrorism, training or community affairs. Despite their rank, as civilian executive specialists, they are prohibited from taking operational control of a police situation (with the exception of the First Deputy Commissioner).

• Deputy Commissioner (symbol of rank: 3 gold stars)
• First Deputy Commissioner (symbol of rank: 4 gold stars and is acting Police Commissioner during his absence.)

While the commissioner is appointed by the mayor and technically serves a five-year term, as a practical matter, the head of the New York City Police Department serves at the mayor's pleasure.

• Police Commissioner (symbol of rank: 5 gold stars)

Within the rank structure, there are also designations, which are further specifications within a rank that connote differences in duties, experience, and pay. However, supervisory functions are only reserved for the rank sergeant and above. For example, the title "Detective" is not a supervisory rank within the New York City Police Department - it is an equivalent rank. A "Detective" has the equivalent rank of a police officer with the specification of "Detective - Specialist" (specialty task oriented, such as a police sketch artist), "Detective - First Grade" (highest), "Detective - Second Grade", and "Detective - Investigator (Third Grade)." Movies and TV have only perpetuated this misunderstanding by portraying detectives as having supervisory powers. For example, the recent Spike Lee film "The Inside Man" portrays an NYPD detective (Denzel Washington) barking orders at an Emergency Service Unit captain (William Dafoe), with the captain respectfully obeying them. Not only would a captain outrank the lieutenant who supervises the sergeant who supervises this detective, but the detective would likely be suspended from duty for doing such a thing more than once.

Thus, a detective does not outrank a police officer (they are the equivalent ranks, but have different roles) and a sergeant outranks a detective. Detectives, specifically "Detective - Investigators" are those members of the Department that generally perform investigatory duties in detective squads in local precincts and specialized units. "Detective - Investigators" also perform investigatory functions in narcotic operations, vice, and anti-terrorists efforts.

Common designations of the various ranks are listed below:

• Police Officer - First Grade: "Grades" are actually only used to refer to pay "steps" or annual salary increasing gradually until the final "step" which is a large raise. Pay steps for a police officer are pre-determined through service time and determined through a negotiated contract. Currently there are six "grades" including a substantial pay reduction for the first six months while training in the Police Academy. After graduating from the academy, the probationary police officer will receive small raises of one to two thousand dollars annually until they have completed five full years whereupon they will receive a large raise (10 to 15 thousand dollars) to "top pay". All police officer "grades" are the same rank, though seniority is respected.

• Detectives can be one of two types: "Detective - Specialist", who is an officer in a specialized unit that might be more dangerous (ESU) or requiring more technical knowledge (Aviation); or "Detective - Investigator", who investigates cases in precinct detective squads or narcotics operations. Either "Detective - Specialists" or "Detective - Investigators" can be awarded pay increases known as "grades". All "Detective - Investigators" start at Detective - Third Grade, which has a pay rate roughly between that of Police Officers and Sergeants; they can then get "promoted" to Detective - Second Grade which has roughly the salary of Sergeants or Detective - First Grade which has a pay rate roughly that of Lieutenants. All detectives hold the same authority as that of police officers, in that none outrank the other. Grades are given out through a merit-based system where a supervisor feels his subordinate deserves recognition and if accepted then makes grade. Detective - First Grades are generally the most experienced and capable investigators in the Department.

• Sergeant: Supervisor Detective Squad, Special Assignment

• Lieutenant: Commander Detective Squad, Special Assignment

Promotion from Police Officer to Sergeant, Sergeant to Lieutenant, and Lieutenant to Captain all occur via a civil service formula that factors: performance on the civil service written examination for that rank, length of service, citations awarded, optional physical fitness test (for extra points). Promotion beyond the rank of Captain is discretionary.

Promotion to the designations within the ranks is also discretionary.

Badges in the New York City Police Department are referred to as "shields" (traditional).

[edit] Structure

[edit] Patrol Services

Material in the Patrol Services section is drawn from NY City Website (http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/bureau.html) - 11/5/05

[edit] Patrol Boroughs

For management purposes, police precincts are grouped collectively based on their jurisdiction into Patrol Boroughs. There are eight Patrol Boroughs. They are: Manhattan North, Manhattan South, Brooklyn North, Brooklyn South, Queens North, Queens South, Bronx, and Staten Island. Each comprise a number of Police Precincts.

[edit] Police Precincts

Each Patrol Borough is comprised of precincts. Each precinct is responsible for safety and law enforcement within a designated geographic area. Police units based in these precincts patrol and respond to emergencies.

Staten Island currently has three precincts: the 120, 122, and 123. A 122 satellite precinct opened in December 2005 adjacent to the Staten Island Mall on Richmond Avenue.

[edit] Special Operations Division

[edit] Aviation Unit

Founded in 1928, it has the distinction of being the oldest police aviation unit in the world. Based at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, the Aviation Unit responds to various emergencies and tasks, supporting Patrol as well as other units of the N.Y.P.D. From deploying divers during air-sea rescues to placing officers atop high-rise buildings during emergencies, the Aviation Unit is vital to the NYPD in providing New York City with the fastest and most professional response available. From a standing start, the unit says it can be anywhere in the five boroughs within 10 minutes.

Once equipped with Bell helicopters, the Aviation Unit recently re-equipped its fleet with seven Agusta A 119 Koala helicopters. Also, for the first time in its history, the department boasts an "unmarked" helicopter. Not unlike unmarked police cars, it avoids alerting criminals or terrorists that police might have them under surveillance.

[edit] Emergency Service Unit

The Emergency Service Unit and the Canine Unit provide specialized equipment, expertise and support to the various units within the NYPD. From auto accidents to building collapses to hostage situations, "ESU" officers are called on when the situation requires advanced equipment and expertise. The Canine Unit provides assistance during searches for missing persons, perpetrators and evidence.

The NYPD does not have a traditional S.W.A.T. unit as most law enforcement agencies in the United States have. The Emergency Service Unit qualifies in the role of a S.W.A.T. unit and much more. The "ESU" is the multifaceted and multitalented element of the NYPD. Members of "ESU" are some of the most highly trained experts of the Department, with abilities that include handling heavy weapons to securing dangerous animals such as full grown tigers kept in public housing apartments. They are also trained in ROCO high angle rope rescue as well as tactical rappelling and fast rope use. 14 of the 23 NYPD officers who died on September 11th, 2001 were from ESU. They are considered the 911 for members of the Department.

[edit] Organized Crime Unit

The Organized Crime Unit is an elite unit within the police department. It is charged with the investigation and disruption of organized crime within New York City. This is mainly done through standard police investigation and the use of informants. The unit also has an undercover department which uses undercover police officers to infiltrate various criminal organizations. The unit has been effective against the Five Families of the Sicilian Mafia and the westies of the Irish mob. This unit is known to work in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigations' New York field office. When executing high risk arrests the unit will draw on the expertise of the Emergency Service Unit.

[edit] Harbor Unit

On March 15, 1858 five members of the New York City Police Department rowed out into New York Harbor to combat piracy aboard merchant ships lying at anchor. The NYPD Harbor Unit has existed ever since, protecting life and property. With hundreds of miles of inland waterways to cover, the unit operates 27 boats from three bases.^[12]

For underwater work, the department used to contract with private diving companies when weapons or other evidence had to be recovered from the bottom of New York's many rivers and waterways. In the late 1960s, however, the Harbor Unit formed a specialized scuba team that today numbers around 30 officers. Unlike many police dive units, whose members dive only part-time, NYPD divers are assigned to the unit full-time. (The exception are some scuba-trained officers in regular patrol units who are assigned to the unit temporarily during the busy summer months.)^[13] For air-sea rescue work, the Harbor Unit keeps two divers assigned to the Aviation Unit 24 hours a day, seven days per week, all year round.

[edit] Special Victims Squad

The Special Victims Squad is housed in various Patrol Boroughs. The Special Victims Squad only investigates the following types of cases:

• Any child under 13 years of age that is the victim of any sex crime or attempted sex crime by any person.
• Any child under 11 years of age who is the victim of abuse by a parent or person legally responsible for the care of the child.
• Any victim of Rape (all degrees) or Attempted Rape (all degrees)
• Any victim of Criminal Sexual Act (all degrees) or Attempted Criminal Sexual Act (all degrees)
• Victims of Aggravated Sexual Abuse (all degrees)
• Victims of Sexual Abuse 1st Degree

The Special Victims Squad does not investigate any murder, robbery cases. Murders and robberies are investigated by precinct detective squads. If a sex crime is involved, the Special Victims Unit may assist in the investigation.

[edit] Major Case Squad

The Major Case Squad is located at One Police Plaza in Manhattan. It handles the following cases.

• Kidnappings as directed by the Chief of Detectives
• Burglary or Attempted Burglary of a bank or bank safe
• Larceny by extortion or attempt, from a bank
• Robbery or attempted of a bank by a perpetrator not armed
• Burglary of a truck contents over $100,000
• Larceny of a truck contents over $100,000
• Robbery of a truck and contents by hijacking
• All robberies in warehouse depots or similar locations where the objects of the crime is a truck or its contents
• All commercial burglaries in which the value of the property stolen exceeds $100,000
• Art Theft

The "Major Case Squad" does not investigate homicides. All homicide investigations are conducted by precinct detective squads and borough homicide squads.

[edit] Taxi Squad

On October 19, 1999, the S.O.D. Taxi Squad was established as a separate unit that reports directly to the Special Operations Division of the New York City Police Department. The general mission of the Taxi Squad is of plainclothes, anti-crime assignment.

[edit] Task Forces

The task forces are organized within each Patrol Borough and specialize in rapid mobilization for disorder control. The task forces can quickly respond to an incident location and mobilize to a precision suppression force to disperse disorderly groups and provide perimeter security. The task forces also assist patrol units in a variety of different elements such as in wide area searches for missing persons, DWI vehicle checkpoints, and supplemental patrol in high crime areas.

[edit] Movie and Television Unit

Founded in 1966, the NYPD Movie/TV Unit was the first of its kind in the country. Because of its relationship with the NYPD, the Unit has the greatest knowledge on how to assist productions, particularly with complex shooting situations, in a City that is dense with vehicular and pedestrian traffic. In addition to this expertise, their services are free to productions filming in the City.

Whether it's filming on bridges, highways, or busy intersections, the Unit controls traffic to ensure that companies can get shots that may otherwise be impossible. In addition, the City's many police related shows, such as Law & Order and Third Watch, generate "crime scenes" which are supervised by the Movie/TV Unit. The Unit's responsibilities do not end there; they also monitor child work permits, stunts, prop firearms, placement of equipment, pedestrian safety and parking.

While filming on busy New York City streets presents countless challenges, the Unit has, over the years, developed a strong working relationship with the film industry. The unit makes an effort to ensure that New York City remains a popular location for filming.

[edit] School Safety Division

The mission of the School Safety Division is to provide a safe environment, conducive to learning, where students and faculty can be free from hostility and disruptions which could negatively impact on the educational process.

[edit] School Safety Training Unit

The mission of the School Safety Training Unit (SSTU) is to provide entry-level School Safety Agents with a fundamental understanding of Department procedures, policies, and the limits of their authority. The Basic Course for Peace Officers without Firearms is a 14-week program geared to instructing School Safety Agents on the fundamentals of law enforcement. Topics include Behavioral Science, Police Science, Law, and Physical Training/Tactics (including CPR/First Aid Training.)

In 2004, SSTU conducted three entry-level courses for a total of 551 School Safety Agents. Assistance was also provided to the NYPD’s School Safety Division’s In-Service Training Unit. Another 1,107 Agents were trained during these sessions.

Also in 2004, continued emphasis was placed on Counter Terrorism Training. School Safety Agents received instruction on current events and conditions that are directly related to terrorism. Other additions to the curriculum included the introduction of facilitated role-play exercises on Bomb/Explosive Device recognition and gang-related incidents.

In 2005, SSTU plans to implement a new curriculum for School Safety Agents that more accurately reflects the day-to-day functions of a School Safety Agent. A pilot program for baton training for School Safety Agents Level 2 assigned to the Mobile Task Force has also been approved and training will commence during 2005.

[edit] Crime Statistics

The Crime Statistics Bureau produces statistics on weekly, monthly and yearly bases. They are organized by precinct, borough and city. NYC Crime Statistics http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/pct/cspdf.html

[edit] Auxiliary Police

Further information: NYPD Auxiliary Police

The NYPD has an unpaid force known as the Auxiliary Police program. It is composed of citizens who volunteer time to help their neighborhoods by providing a uniformed presence.

In 1950, the 81st Congress passed the Public Law #920, entitled The Civil Defense Act of 1950 authorizing a Federal Civil Defense Program. In 1951, the New York State Legislature enacted The Defense Emergency Act requiring New York City to recruit, train, and equip volunteer Auxiliary Police, who would then act as a liaison to the NYPD in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.

In 1967, A Mayoral Executive Order closed the Civil Defense Headquarters and placed full responsibility of the Auxiliary Police Program with the NYPD. During the 1960s when crime was on the rise, uniform Auxiliary Police patrols were an effective means to deter crime.

Auxiliary officers sometimes ride in squad cars (called RMPs for Radio Mobile Patrols), but usually patrol on foot. They are equipped with a baton, flashlight, handcuffs, and a radio. If officers see a crime in progress, they report it to Central Dispatch using the radio. Auxiliaries act primarily as the eyes and ears of the police department. Before becoming auxiliaries, recruits go through 53 hours of training. Recently, a directive dated July 14, 2005, 2 weeks after the 2005 London bombings, stated that the City would institute a citywide transit auxiliary program. This will help reduce crime and fight terrorism in the Transit System. [10][11]

Their patrol presence and keen observation and reporting of incidents requiring regular police response, as well as interaction with the public, aides in crime reduction and enhances police-community relations. Another important function of Auxiliary Police volunteers is serving as a citizen ready reserve in the event of an emergency or natural disaster. Generally, however, Auxiliaries are used for omnipresence and as a force multiplier to assist regular police in non-weapon/minimal danger incidents.

On March 14, 2007, two Auxiliary officers were killed. Auxiliary Officer Marshalik and Auxiliary Police Officer Nicholas Pekearo were shot and killed while following a suspect who had just murdered a pizza shop employee in Greenwich Village. The suspect had entered the shop, asked for a menu, and then shot the employee in the back fifteen times after the man turned around.

Auxiliary Officer Pekearo and Auxiliary Officer Marshalik, both of whom were unarmed and on foot patrol in the area of the shooting heard the description of the suspect that had been transmitted over the radio. They spotted the suspect and immediately began to follow him. After a short distance the man suddenly turned and opened fire, fatally wounding both officers.

Several plainclothes officers who were responding to the scene encountered the suspect, who fled on foot and began firing at them. The suspect was killed in an exchange of gunfire with the officers. The suspect was found to be carrying two handguns and over 100 rounds of ammunition.

[edit] Crime Scene Unit

The Crime Scene Unit is a part of the New York City Police Department's (NYPD) Detective Bureau's Forensic Investigations Division that is responsible for forensic investigations of all homicides, sexual assaults, and other crimes that an investigating supervisor deems necessary. Members of the Crime Scene Unit assist the precinct detectives in the processing of a crime scene as well as determining the proper routing of evidence between the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the NYPD Police Lab and the NYPD Property Clerk.

The Crime Scene Unit is composed of NYPD detectives (or occasionally police officers that are awaiting their promotion to detective), not civilian technicians like crime scene units in other parts of the U.S. Generally these detectives come from an Evidence Collection Team which is operated at the borough level.

The Crime Scene Unit covers all of the boroughs of New York City, but is staffed with less than 1% of the total number of detectives in the NYPD. These detectives are dedicated to doing what is necessary to ensure that the precinct detectives and the District Attorney have as much evidence to identify the perpetrator of the crime and convict them at trial.

The Crime Scene Unit has at its disposal many tools to process a crime scene including the materials needed to develop fingerprints, cast footwear and tire impressions, follow the trajectory of bullets fired through windows and the chemicals necessary to observe blood under special lighting conditions that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye. The unit is also trained to process a crime scene in a hazardous environment, for example following a nuclear, biological or chemical attack.

The NYPD Crime Scene Unit will handle in excess of 1,000 runs a year, a large drop from the busy days of the Crack-Wars in the 1980's where 3,000 runs a year was common. Although there are less runs, each crime scene involves much more work these days. The common use of modern equipment unavailable previously, as well as the increase in computer generated case work and sketches means the amount of time spent on each individual case has drastically increased. The modern-era case load of 1,000 also takes into account the fact that the patrol borough based Evidence Collection Teams handle the vast majority of burglaries an robberies as well as assaults where the victim is not likely to die, leaving the Crime Scene Unit to focus on more serious incidents.

[edit] Transit Bureau

Further information: New York City Transit Police

The NYPD Transit Bureau is a separate branch of the NYPD that patrols and responds to emergencies within the New York City transit system. Its responsibility includes the NYC Subways in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. However, certain units with citywide responsibilities -- such as the Homeless Outreach Unit -- also fall within the purview of the Transit Bureau.

The Transit Bureau is divided into Transit Borough Commands. These Borough Commands generally follow the boundaries of the City's geographical boroughs, although there are some notable exceptions. Since there are no subways on Staten Island, there are only four Transit Boroughs: Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. Each Transit Borough is further divided into Transit Districts.

As a general rule, each Borough is commanded by an Inspector while Transit Districts tend to be commanded by Captains. The NYPD Detective Bureau investigates all crimes that occur in Transit. Each borough office has assigned detectives from the Detective Bureau similar to the Precinct Detective Squad. As of June 15, 2006 all detectives assigned to investigate transit crimes will fall under a unified command [Central Robbery Section] of the Detective Bureau's Special Investigations Division.

[edit] Housing Bureau

Further information: NYPD Housing Police

The Housing Bureau is responsible for providing the security and delivery of police services to 420,000 residents, employees and guests of public housing (projects) throughout New York City. They are stationed in Police Service Areas (PSA), which are almost identical to police precincts, with nine PSAs in total located throughout the five boroughs. Officers often do vertical patrols, making sure illegal activity does not take place in the halls, stairways, or the roof.

[edit] Highway Patrol

Further information: NYPD Highway Patrol

[edit] Line of Duty Deaths

From Dec 25, 1806 to March 19, 2007, the NYPD lost 747 officers in the line of duty. This figure includes officers from agencies that were absorbed or became a part of the modern NYPD in addition to the modern department itself.

The New York City Police Department is composed of the following independent agencies and/or components that have suffered Line of Duty Deaths:

• Long Island City Police Department
• Morrisania Police Department
• New York City Housing Authority Police Department
• New York City Police Department - Division of School Safety
• New York City Police Department - Auxiliary Police Section
• New York City Transit Police Department
• New York City Watch
• New York Metropolitan Police Force
• New York Municipal Police Department
• New York Municipal Police Force
• New York Police Department

The cause of death break-down is as follows:

• Accidental: 11
• Aircraft accident: 7
• Animal related: 17
• Asphyxiation: 3
• Assault: 30
• Automobile accident: 50
• Bicycle accident: 4
• Boating accident: 5
• Bomb: 2
• Drowned: 12
• Duty related illness: 11
• Electrocuted: 5
• Explosion: 8
• Exposure: 1
• Fall: 12
• Fire: 14
• Gunfire: 320 (of whom 7 were assassinated)
• Gunfire (Accidental): 23
• Heart attack: 44
• Motorcycle accident: 36
• Stabbed: 24
• Struck by streetcar: 7
• Struck by train: 5
• Struck by vehicle: 37
• Structure collapse: 3
• Terrorist attack: 24
• Vehicle pursuit: 12
• Vehicular assault: 20

[edit] NYPD Medals

The department presents a number of Medals to its members for meritorious service. The medals the NYPD awards are as follows (from lowest medal to highest):

• 'Excellent Police Duty' (EPD)

• Meritorious Police Duty (MPD) & Meritorious Police Duty - Integrity

• Commendation - Community Service (Displayed wearing the MPD medal with a light blue star in the middle)

• Commendation or Commendation - Integrity (Displayed wearing the MPD medal with a bronze star in the middle)

• Exceptional Merit (Displayed wearing the MPD medal with a green star in the middle)

• Honorable Mention (Displayed wearing the MPD medal with a silver star in the middle)

• Medal for Valor (Solid blue bar)

• Police Combat Cross (Solid green bar)

• Medal of Honor (Solid green bar speckled tiny gold stars)

The department also awards a Purple Shield to those injured or killed in the line of duty.

[edit] Demographics

The NYPD is majority white with an increasing number of minority officers. Amongst minorities 17.4% of the officers are African American, 25.5% Hispanic, and 3.8% Asian American. This compares to a city population that is 27% Hispanic, 26.6% African American, and 9.8% Asian American. In 1970, there were only 300 sworn Hispanic officers on the force, in today's department there are over 8,000 sworn Hispanic officers. The Police Departments' demographics match the City's demographics better than the Fire Department which by contrast is 92% white. 2005 marked the first academy class that was majority minority where only 45.2% of the graduates were non-Hispanic Whites.

[edit] Affiliations

The department is affiliated with the New York City Police Museum.

The department also runs a Summer Youth Police academy to provide positive interaction with police officers and to educate young people about the challenges and responsibility of police work.

[edit] Fictional portrayals

Further information: List of fictional portrayals of the NYPD

The NYPD is behind perhaps only cowboys and gangsters in terms of public fascination, as measured by movie and television treatments. Over the years, countless fictional or fictionalized portrayals of the department have emerged into popular culture.

[edit] See also

• New York City Police Commissioner
• NYPD Auxiliary Police
• NYPD Rodman's Neck Firing Range
• September 11, 2001 attacks
• NYPD Real Time Crime Center
• Police patch collecting

[edit] External links

• Official NYPD page
• Auxiliary Police Benevolent Association
• Full listing of NYPD Officers who have been killed in the line of duty
• NYCPR and COPP NYC police misconduct organizations
• NY Daily News March 12, 2007

[edit] References

1. ^ "Melee in Tompkins Sq. Park: Violence and Its Provocation," by Todd Purdham, The New York Times, August 14, 1988, Section 1; Part 1, Page 1, Column 4; Metropolitan Desk
2. ^ NY Daily News March 12, 2007
3. ^ "Police See First Rise in Exam Applicants Since Recruit Pay Cut", New York Sun, Sept. 19, 2006.
4. ^ "2005 Duties, 1985 Pay", New York Daily News, June 29, 2005.
5. ^ "They're Tried, They're True, But How Long Do They Stay?", The New York Times, Oct. 8, 1995.
6. ^ "Offers Higher Salary: Upstate City Makes Case to NYPD Cops", The Chief-Leader, Oct. 6, 2006.
7. ^ "To Protect and Serve On Another Front; In an Increasing Job Migration, Police Officers Make the Switch From Crime Fighter to Firefighter," by Kevin Flynn, The New York Times, May 31, 1999, Section B; Page 1, Column 2; Metropolitan Desk
8. ^ "Cops Entering FDNY Back At Bottom on Pay; Council Enacts Deal Made Under UFA Wage Accord," by Ginger Adams Otis, The Chief-Leader, April 14, 2006
9. ^ "P.D. Holds Hostage Its PAPD Applicants," by Reuven Blau, The Chief-Leader, Jan. 26, 2007, Page 1, Column 2;
10. ^ "Rule NYPD Can Withhold Officer Files From PA; Has Effect of Blocking Transfers to Gain Higher Pay," by Reuven Blau, The Chief-Leader, Jan. 26, 2007, Page 1, Column 4;
11. ^ "Alarm Over Cop Exodu$," by Larry Celona and Bill Sanderson, The New York Post, Jan. 25, 2007, Page 4, Column 1;
12. ^ "New York Police Department: Scuba Team"
13. ^ "NYPD's Air-Sea Rescue Teams"

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