New York City Police Department

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is the largest police department in the United States, has primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within The Five Boroughs of New York City. It is considered to be the first "modern" style police department in the United States; when it was created in the 19th century, it was modeled after London's Metropolitan Police.

One Police Plaza is the headquarters of the NYPD located on Park Row across the street from City Hall.

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.

NYPD members are frequently referred to by the nickname New York's Finest (in the same vein as FDNY firefighters are called New York's Bravest, and the Department of Correction New York's Boldest). "Best police" and later "finest police" both are cited from 1874.^*

The Compstat program, introduced under then-Commissioner Bill Bratton and Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the 1990s, uses statistics about crime rates and arrests to evaluate police precincts and commands. As with many large metropolitan police forces, accusations of corruption and mismanagement have dogged the NYPD.

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.

Pay for new officers fell precipitously in the latest contract negotiations, and new hires now earn $25,100, the lowest since 1985. 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. Top pay for experienced officers is $59,588. Nearby departments pay considerably more, up to $50,000 for new hires or over $90,000 for experienced (see Daily News article).

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, the "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

Ranks of the NYPD

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

Patrolman
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 a sworn members of the department, but are instead, appointed by the Police Commissioner.

These officers are administrators who supersede the Chief of Department, and they usually specialize in an areas of great importance to the Department, such as counter-terrorism, training or community affairs.

Deputy Commissioner (symbol of rank: 3 gold stars)
First Deputy Commissioner (symbol of rank: 4 gold stars)

The head of the New York City Police Department is appointed by the Mayor, at his discretion.

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 patrolman with the specification of "Detective - Specialist" (specialty task oriented), "Detective - First Grade" (highest), "Detective - Second Grade", and "Detective - Third Grade".

Thus, a detective does not outrank a patrolman (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:

Patrolman: Patrolman - "First Grade" "grades" are actually only used to refer to pay "steps" or annual salary increasing gradually until your final "step" which is a large raise. Pay steps for a patrolman 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 graduation of the academy the probationary patrolman will receive small raises of one to two thousand dollars a year until they have completed five full years AFTER the academy when they will receive a large raise (10 to 15 thousand dollars) to "top pay". All Patrolman "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 - Investigators" who investigate cases in precinct detective squads or narcotics operations. Either Detective Specialists or Detective Investigators can be awarded pay increases known as "grade". All "Detectives - Investigators" start at Detective 3rd grade, which has a pay rate roughly between that of a patrolman and a sergeant, they can then get "promoted" to Detective Second Grade which is roughly the salary of a sergeant or Detective First grade which has a pay rate roughly that of a Lieutenant. All detectives hold the same authority as that of a patrolman, in that none outranks each other. "Grade" is given out through a "merit based" system where a supervisor feels his subordinate deserves recognition and if accepted then makes grade. A detective "first grade" 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 patrolman 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).

Structure

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

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.

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.

Special Operations Division

Message from the Chief - The Special Operations Division is here to support, coordinate, monitor and record the activities of its five sub-units. It provides resources, support and staff, enabling them to accomplish their respective missions. The S.O.D. executive staff responds to critical and emergency situations to insure that all units concerned work together to resolve such incidents safely and efficiently. Through our Aviation Unit we provide fast life saving air-borne response, and invaluable aerial observation capabilities. Our Emergency Service Unit is staffed by some of the most highly trained officers and equipped with state of the art life saving and emergency equipment. Emergency Service K-9 is one of the largest and most professional K-9 units in the country. The Harbor Unit responds to waterborne incidents with all the latest emergency equipment and expertise. Their Scuba team is highly respected, and coupled with Aviation give New Yorkers the only air-sea rescue operation ready to respond twenty fours hours a day in the Tri-State area. Anti Graffiti Vandalism Unit has and continues to make great strides to rid New York of the destruction and vandalism of public and private property. We are a resource ready to assist other units of the N.Y.P.D., here to deliver the best police services in the world, to the capital of the world, New York City.

Aviation Unit

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 hi-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. The Aviation Unit consists primarily of helicopters.

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.

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.

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.

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 supression 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.

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.

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

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 1960's 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 Motor 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 14th, 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. ^*^*

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.

Transit Police

The NYPD Transit police is a separate branch of the NYPD that patrols and responds to emergencies within the New York City Transportation Network. Their jurisdiction includes the NYC Subways in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens.

The Transit Police is broken up into Transit Borough Commands covering the public transportation network. They are Transit Borough Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. From there, they are divided into Transit Districts which are based in major transportation hubs in the Subway.

Each Borough is commanded by an Inspector while Transit Districts 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 of the Detective Bureau's Fugitive Enforcement Division.

Housing Bureau

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.

Highway Patrol

Modern era

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 2,245 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. That was more lives lost than in any other year in the NYPD'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 the Interstate 95 ^* which has been called the "iron pipeline".

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, as others claim that city officials deliberately misclassify reports or harass victims into not making reports to keep these numbers artificially low. COMPSTAT assists the department in understanding where most crimes occur, which allows them to dedicate extra resources to that area. Some also credit a dramatic change in approach to preventing crime begun by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in the 1990s. Giuliani used the department 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.

Line of Duty Deaths

From Dec 25, 1806 to as of March 19, 2006, the NYPD has lost 745 officers in the line of duty. Those officers were from agencies that were absorbed or became the modern NYPD and from the modern department.

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: 318 {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

Line of duty deaths and the Black Liberation Army

The following Officers from the NYPD were killed by members of the Black Liberation Army:

Patrolman Joseph A. Piagentini
Patrolman Waverly M. Jones
Police Officer Gregory P. Foster
Police Officer Rocco W. Laurie
Police Officer Sidney L. Thompson
Police Officer John G. Scarangella

The Black Liberation Army was the military wing of the Black Panther Party. An African American group that attempted to fight for independence from the United States government in the late 1960's and early 1970's. The BLA was responsible for the murders of more than 10 police officers around the country. They were also responsible for violent attacks around the country that left many police officers wounded.

Source: The Officer Down Memorial Page (http://odmp.org/agency.php?agencyid=2758)

Scandals and corruption

Throughout its history, the NYPD has occasionally been tainted by corruption. 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.

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."

Corruption in the department is investigated by Internal Affairs.

In the late 1990s and 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.

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.

On February 4, 1999, the City Wide Anti-Crime Unit "Street Crime" shot Amadou Bailo Diallo, an unarmed man, 41 times, striking him 19 times in the lobby of an apartment building^*. The shooting stemmed from a misunderstanding in which officers believed Diallo was reaching for a weapon (he was merely reaching for his wallet) 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.

On March 16, 2000, undercover narcotics detectives shot Patrick Dorisman to death during a scuffle on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. The detectives had approached Dorisman, 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.

On January 24, 2004, Housing Bureau officers in Bedford-Stuyvesant accidentally shot to death Timothy Stansbury, a 19-year-old black man who was trespassing on the roof landing of a New York City housing project. Mr. Stansbury was unarmed, and apparently startled Richard Neri, when he opened the roof door and P.O. Neri discharged his service firearm mortally wounding Mr. Stansbury. ^*

In June, 2006, Michael Chertoff, the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, announced that his department would cut the counter-terrorism budget for New York City by 40% ($124 million down from $207 million)^*. Although the reasons for this might be ambiguous, many blame the City and the department for the cut. They argue that, instead of allocating money to combat terrorists, the City used the funds to increase the city's revenues by starting a new police initiative, called Operation Atlas. Cops assigned to Atlas were paid overtime using the federal funds but assigned to write a number of summonses (fines).

NYPD Medals

The department presents a number of Medals to its members for meritorious service.

NYPD Medal of Honor

NYPD Medal of Valor

NYPD Combat Cross

NYPD Purple Shield

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 Commednation - 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 tinny gold stars)

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.

Fictional portrayals

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

External links

Official NYPD page
New York City Police Dept. Radio Transmissions on September 11,2001
Auxiliary Police Benevolent Association
Full listing of NYPD Officers who have been killed in the line of duty
NYPD Rant Where police officers post their opinions on anything.