New York City Police Department

The New York City Police Department (NYPD), 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.

Related Topics:
United States - Boroughs - New York City - Police - 19th century - Metropolitan Police

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One Police Plaza is the headquarters of the NYPD.

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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.

Related Topics:
Laws - Crime

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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.

Related Topics:
New York City Transit Police - Housing Police - 1995

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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").

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The Compstat program, introduced under then-Commissioner Bill Bratton and Mayor Rudolph Guiliani 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.

Related Topics:
Compstat - Bill Bratton - Rudolph Guiliani - 1990s

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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.

Related Topics:
2004 - 2005

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