The New York City Police Department ( NYPD ), established in 1845, is currently the largest police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City. The NYPD was the first police department established in the United States. It has its headquarters in Lower Manhattan, New York City.
Overview
The NYPD has a broad array of specialized services, including tactical operations, K-9, harbor patrol, air support, 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. The NYPD's headquarters at One Police Plaza houses an anticrime computer network, essentially a large search engine and data warehouse operated by detectives to assist officers in the field with their investigations. According to the department, its mission is to "enforce the laws, preserve the peace, reduce fear, and provide for a safe environment."
The New York City Transit Police and Housing Police were fully integrated into the NYPD in 1995; police officers are randomly assigned to the Transit and Housing units upon graduation of the police academy. 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. As of November 2007, it had increased to slightly over 36,000 with the graduation of several classes from the Police Academy. The NYPD's current authorized uniformed strength is 37,838. There are also approximately 4,500 Auxiliary Police Officers, 5,000 School Safety Agents, 2,300 Traffic Enforcement Agents, and 370 Traffic Enforcement Supervisors currently employed by the department.
History
Main article: History of the New York City Police DepartmentSalary and retention issues
After years of bitter wrangling that saw starting pay for new officers fall to as low as $25,100 a year, the city and the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association on August 21, 2008 reached agreement on a new four-year contract.
The contract, which runs from August 1, 2006 to July 31, 2010, gives police officers a 17 percent pay raise over its four-year life, and raises starting pay from $35,881 to $41,975, and top pay from $65,382 to approximately $76,000 annually. With longevity pay, holiday pay, night shift differential and other additions, the total annual compensation for officers receiving top pay will be approximately $91,823, not including overtime. It should also be noted that this is the first contract since 1994 the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association and the City of New York mutually agreed on without involving a mediator.
While an improvement on the expired contract, the new terms still leave a substantial gap between the NYPD and nearby departments that pay considerably more, up to $50,000 for new hires and over $100,000 for more experienced officers. 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, Westchester County police departments, and the Port Authority Police of New York and New Jersey. 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, the Albuquerque, New Mexico Police, and the Seattle Police Department, are actively recruiting NYPD officers to join their forces.
Police departments in neighboring Rockland County and Westchester County have top base salaries ranging from around $85,000 to $105,000, not counting longevity, uniform pay, overtime and benefits. In 2007 a Westchester County Department of Public Safety officer reportedly made over $250,000 (with overtime), making him the highest paid police officer in the United States.
Large numbers of NYPD officers have also migrated to the New York City Fire Department, where, even though pay is comparable with that of the NYPD, work schedules are more attractive and relations with the public more amicable. 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.
Some NYPD officers charge that the department's leadership is seeking to stem the flow of officers to other jurisdictions by administrative means. 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.
Despite these obstacles, there are signs that the exodus from the NYPD may be accelerating. In 2007, 990 officers resigned before becoming eligible for retirement, on top of 902 who left in 2006, 867 in 2005 and 635 in 2004, which makes for an attrition rate of around two percent. While Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly insists 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.
Ranks of the NYPD
There are three career "tracks" in the New York City Police Department. The supervisory track consisting of twelve sworn titles (referred to as ranks). Promotion to the ranks of sergeant, lieutenant and captain are made via competitive civil service examinations. Promotion to the ranks of deputy inspector, inspector and chief are made at the discretion of the police commissioner, after successfully passing all three civil service exams. Promotion from the rank Police Officer to detective is determined by the current police labor contract with approval of the Police Commissioner. The entry level appointment to detective is third grade or specialist. The Police Commissioner may grant discretionary grades of first or second grade. These grades roughly correspond to compensation equivalent to supervisors. Specifically, a second grade detective's pay roughly corresponds to a sergeant and a first grade detective's pay roughly corresponds to a lieutenant. Detectives are police officers that have been given titles and have no supervisory authority. A Detective first grade still falls under the command of a Sergeant or above. Similar to detective grades Sergeants and Lieutants also can receive pay grade increases within their rank.
The other two tracks are the "investigative" track and the "specialist" track.
There are two basic types of detective on the NYPD: "detective-investigators" and "detective-specialists."
Detective-Investigators are the type most people associate with the term "detective" and are the ones most frequently portrayed on television and in the movies. Most police officers gain their detective title by working in the Narcotics Division of the NYPD's Organized Crime Control Bureau and are then moved to the Detective Bureau. Detectives assigned to squads are co-located within each precinct and are responsible for investigating murders, rapes, robberies, burglaries and other crimes within that precinct's boundaries. Other detective-investigators are assigned to specialized units at
New York City Police Department - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), established in 1845, is currently the largest police force in the United States, [1] with primary responsibilities in law enforcement ...
NYPD - Official New York City Police Department Web Site
Inside the NYPD Gang Division Gang-motivated crime is low in New York City thanks to NYPD Gang Division officers who suppress and investigate gang activity, as well as educate ...
Town of York, Maine Police Department
The York Police Department provides patrol ... The York Police Department is recognized as one of the best trained and most progressive departments in New England.
Category:New York City Police Department - Wikimedia Commons
Media in category "New York City Police Department" The following 70 files are in this category, out of 70 total.
New York City Police Department
Related content - New York City Police Department - New York Daily News
New York Police Department
New York Police Department. Client/Owner: New York City Police Department. Project location: New York, New York. Construction cost: $2 million. DMJM Harris provided a feasibility ...
New York State Police
The New York State Police is continually searching for certified Minority and Women-Owned ... Subtitle K of the state compilation and can be accessed through the Department ...
New York City Police Department Band
New York, NY: Presents the history of the band, its members and repertoire, and forthcoming concerts. Also a photo gallery, merchandise store and details of subsidiary ensembles.
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department ...
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, or Port Authority Police Department (PAPD), is a law enforcement agency in New York and New Jersey, the duties of ...
New York City Police Department - Simple English Wikipedia, the free ...
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), started in 1844, is the largest police force in the United States, [1]. It is the police force that serves the the five boroughs of New ...