New York City Police Department

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

The NYPD is headquartered at 1 Police Plaza in Lower Manhattan, near City Hall. It has special units for different kinds of help, such as the Emergency Service Unit, K-9 unit, harbor patrol, highway patrol, air support, bomb squad, and units for safety in public transportation and public housing. The NYPD also helps with water rescues.

The NYPD has more than 40,000 workers, including over 30,000 police officers. Each year, the NYPD handles many reports and makes thousands of arrests. In 2020, its budget was over US$6 billion. The NYPD has been in many stories, movies, and TV shows because of its role in America’s biggest city.

History

Main article: History of the New York City Police Department

The New York City Police Department, or NYPD, started in 1845 when the city changed its old night watch system. Mayor William Havemeyer helped start the NYPD. Over time, the department changed a lot. In 1911, it hired its first Black officer, and in 1918, its first female officer.

In 1924, Richard Enright started the country’s first Shomrim Society, a group for Jewish police officers. In 1961, Officer Mario Biaggi became the first NYPD officer to join the National Police Officers Hall of Fame. In the mid-1980s, the NYPD worked more on stopping drug sales on streets.

In 1992, Mayor David Dinkins created a group to review complaints about the NYPD. Some officers disagreed and protested. In 1994, the NYPD began using the CompStat system to track crime with computers. In the 1990s, several departments joined the NYPD.

In 2021, the NYPD stopped enforcing some marijuana laws, except for driving under the influence. In 2024, the NYPD changed its motto to “Fighting Crime, Protecting the Public”.

Organization and structure

Main article: Organization of the New York City Police Department

The New York City Police Department is led by a police commissioner, who is chosen by the city’s mayor. The commissioner picks important leaders, including the chief of department, the top uniformed officer. The commissioner and their team work on managing the department and areas like public safety and legal matters.

The department has many bureaus, grouped into four main areas: Patrol, Transit & Housing, Investigative, and Administrative. Each bureau has its own leader, and they all work together to keep New York City safe.

Rank structure

See also: Organization of the New York City Police Department

After training, officers start as "Probationary Police Officers" or "rookies" for the first 18 months. The NYPD has three main paths: supervisory, investigative, and specialist.

There are nine ranks in the supervisory path. To move up to become a sergeant, lieutenant, or captain, officers need to pass special tests. Higher ranks like deputy inspector and above are chosen by the NYPD commissioner. Officers can also become a detective based on their work.

Badges

Badges in the NYPD are called "shields". Each rank has its own badge design, except for police officers and probationary officers. When officers move up in rank, they get a new badge. Lower-ranked officers are known by their shield numbers, while higher-ranked officers use tax registry numbers.

Some officers carry extra badges called "dupes" when patrolling.

^ †: Rank that has no police powers

Rank	Insignia	Badge design	Badge color	Badge number	Uniform
Police Commissioner		With requisite number of stars and rank	Gold, with silver star(s)	No	No uniform
First Deputy Commissioner
Chief of Department					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)
Bureau Chief & Bureau Chief Chaplain †
Assistant Chief & Assistant Chief Chaplain †
Deputy Chief & Deputy Chief Chaplain †		Chaplain and Surgeon badges differ
Inspector & Chaplain †		Chaplain and Surgeon badges differ	Gold		White shirt, dark blue peaked cap, velvet cap band, gold hat badge,
Deputy Inspector
Captain					White shirt, peaked cap, striped black cap band, gold hat badge
Lieutenant	(shoulder & collar)
Sergeant	(sleeve)			Yes	Navy blue shirt, peaked cap, gold hat badge
Detective	None
Officer			Silver	Yes, matching hat badge	Navy blue shirt, peaked cap, silver hat badge with matching number
Probationary Officer ("probie")
Recruit				Yes	Slate grey, black garrison cap
Cadet		None

Department composition

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is made up of many people who work to keep the city safe. It has uniformed officers and civilian employees who help with traffic, schools, and other tasks.

The NYPD is very diverse, with many officers from different backgrounds. The department has detectives, sergeants, and other leaders who work together.

Many NYPD officers live outside of New York City in nearby areas. However, officers cannot live in Northern New Jersey.

In 2022, Keechant Sewell became the first woman to serve as the NYPD Commissioner. Later, in 2024, Jessica Tisch became the second woman to hold this job.

Line of duty deaths

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has sadly lost many officers while they were protecting the city. Since 1849, many officers have passed away in these situations. Some were hurt by people they were trying to stop. A large number of officers were lost during the September 11, 2001, attacks. The NYPD has had more officers pass away this way than any other police group in the United States.

Services

The NYPD offers many special services to keep people safe. These include an Emergency Service Unit, K9 (which uses trained dogs), harbor patrol, air support, a bomb squad, and units that fight gang activity, organized crime, and narcotics. They also have teams for public transportation and public housing. The NYPD has officers in eleven cities around the world to help keep people safe.

Public opinion

The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute has been checking how people feel about the NYPD since 1997. At first, about half of the people approved of the job the NYPD was doing. After the World Trade Center terrorist attacks in September 2001, approval went up, but it has generally stayed between about half and three-quarters since then. Approval depends on race and ethnicity, with some groups often less likely to approve compared to others.

In 2017, a poll found that most New York City voters approved of the NYPD, with differences among racial groups. In 2020, another poll showed differences in approval among the public. Many people also felt that crime and problems with the police were serious issues.

Brutality, corruption, and misconduct cases

The New York City Police Department has faced challenges, including concerns about fairness and behavior. Some people have said that officers have sometimes been too rough or treated people unfairly. There have also been times when officers did not follow the rules.

In the past, there have been reports about officers not telling the whole truth about certain events. There are groups that look into these concerns, and people can share their worries about an officer's behavior in different ways. In 2020, new rules were created to make sure officers follow safety guidelines, especially during big events and protests. Even with these rules, there have been times when officers did not act as they should have.

Sometimes, officers have made mistakes in how they handle people, and there have been discussions about how to improve these situations. There have also been talks about spending and how money is used within the department. It's important for everyone to work together to make sure all officers act fairly and with respect.

Technology

In the 1990s, the New York City Police Department created a special management system called CompStat. Many other cities now use this system. The NYPD has tools to study crime scenes and labs to help solve mysteries. They also have teams that work on solving crimes involving computers.

In 2005, the NYPD started a "Real Time Crime Center." This center is like a big digital library that helps police find clues by looking at records such as traffic tickets, court papers, and past reports.

The NYPD also uses the Domain Awareness System. This system gathers information from many places, like license plate readers and surveillance cameras. It helps police keep an eye on important places and people.

In 2020, the NYPD introduced a robotic dog named Digidog, made by Boston Dynamics. This robot has cameras and can move on its own. The NYPD said it would only be used in special situations like dangerous threats. Later, the city stopped using Digidog, but in 2023, they brought it back with two new robots.

Surveillance Practices

The NYPD uses many tools to keep the city safe. Some of these tools have been debated because they might not treat everyone fairly. Experts say these methods have old roots from the 1700s that sometimes treated groups unfairly.

Omnipresence Program

In 2014, the NYPD started a plan called “Omnipresence.” This plan put officers in fixed spots and added very bright lights in some neighborhoods, especially in public housing areas like Brownsville, Brooklyn. People living there said the lights shined into their homes and made it hard to sleep. The plan was part of a bigger safety project that cost $140 million and included many security cameras and special doors. While this project did help lower some types of crime, many people felt it was too harsh.

Facial Recognition and Surveillance Infrastructure

A report in 2019 showed that the NYPD has many advanced tools, such as face-recognition tech and tools that can read car numbers quickly. These tools were often added without telling the public or getting approval from city leaders. The NYPD also works with private companies to get more video from security cameras, which helps them solve crimes but also raises questions about privacy.

Fusus Camera Integration Program

In 2023, the NYPD began testing a new way to connect security cameras from businesses with their systems. This test happened in a part of Queens and helped solve several burglaries. After the test, the NYPD made a bigger plan to use this system in more areas of the city. Some people worry that using so many cameras might not be fair to everyone, especially in poorer neighborhoods.

Vehicles

Main article: List of vehicles of the New York City Police Department

Firearms

New York City Police Department officers can choose between two types of 9mm pistols for their work: the Glock 17 Gen4 and the Glock 19 Gen4. In the past, officers used other handguns, but these are no longer given to new officers. Some officers who already have these can still use them.

Special officers in units like the Emergency Service Unit carry more powerful weapons for very difficult situations.

Affiliations

The NYPD works with the New York City Police Foundation and the New York City Police Museum. It has special programs like the Youth Police Academy to help young people learn about police work. The NYPD also supports a program through Scouting America, and runs the Citizens Police Academy to teach people about basic laws and police jobs.