Divides Bronx into Two Patrol Boroughs to Expand Capacity and Enhance Resources
Launches Most Significant Training Overhaul for Police Officers in Decades
Modernizes 311 Dispatch System to Address New Yorkers’ Quality of Life Concerns and Ensure Accountability
Names the Police Academy and New Co-Chief Chaplains
Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch today delivered her 2026 State of the NYPD address, highlighting the department's new strategies to keep New York City safe, invest in accountability and training, and modernize policing. Today’s announcement comes as the NYPD delivered the safest year ever for gun violence in 2025, with the fewest shooting incidents and shooting victims in recorded history. Last year also saw major crime declines in all five boroughs, as well as the lowest index crime in the subways since 2009, excluding the pandemic years.
“Together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and we say with renewed certainty that the state of the NYPD is strong,” said Commissioner Tisch. “A year ago, I set clear expectations for the NYPD. New Yorkers deserved a police department that was stable in its leadership, disciplined in its operations, serious about its standards, and focused relentlessly on public safety. I made promises to our cops, and to all the people we serve. And 2025 was about keeping those promises — and exceeding those expectations. In 2026, that doesn’t change. Our crime-fighting posture remains the same, the standards we hold ourselves to remain the same, and the commitment to support the noble men and women of the NYPD remains absolute.”
Commissioner Tisch announced the following initiatives in her 2026 State of the NYPD address:
Divides the Bronx into Two Patrol Boroughs
For the first time ever, the Bronx will be divided into two patrol borough commands — Bronx North and Bronx South — starting in the spring. This change will bring nearly 200 additional police officers to the borough, strengthen the NYPD’s ability to respond to the different needs across neighborhoods, and add additional specialized units into the borough, including homicide squad detectives, evidence collection teams, narcotics teams, Neighborhood Safety Teams, and auto crime units.
Currently, the Bronx is organized under a single patrol borough command — one leadership structure overseeing every precinct — while Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens have each long since moved to two patrol borough commands to handle the volume of work there. The Bronx has experienced more crime per capita than any other borough while operating under a structure that has not kept pace with the demands placed on it. In 2025, the Bronx accounted for more than one-third of all shooting incidents and shooting victims citywide, roughly three times Queens and Manhattan. The borough recorded more major crimes than Manhattan and Queens, and nearly the same as Brooklyn. Bronx residents also generated nearly 1 million calls for service last year — more than Queens and nearly equal to Manhattan.
Overhaul of In-Service Training
To better prepare police officers for situations they might encounter and continue to be responsive to community needs, the NYPD is launching the most significant overhaul of in-service training in decades. Officers will participate in a recurring, focused, weeklong in-service training program that will continue throughout their careers. The training will cover a wide range of topics, including tactics, de-escalation, constitutional policing, legal standards, and situational awareness.
Modernizing the NYPD’s 311 System
The NYPD is rolling out a new digital dispatch system for 311 jobs assigned to the NYPD’s Q-Teams to ensure responses are handled with the same level of structure and accountability as 911 jobs. Officers will be able to better track, respond to, and close out 311 jobs, protecting quality of life for all New Yorkers.
Digitizing NYPD Precinct Command Logs
Since the department’s founding in 1845, precinct operations have been recorded by hand, in a paper logbook, including staffing, roll call, inspections, equipment, overtime, property, and compliance checks. The department will transition to digital precinct command logs, providing leadership a clear, real-time picture of what is happening across their precinct.
Introducing DAS 2.0 for Real-Time Policing
The Domain Awareness System (DAS) is a platform that was created in 2014 to give officers real-time information to support patrol responses and investigations in one central location. DAS 2.0 brings real-time awareness directly into the field. An officer driving on the FDR can be alerted that a stolen car just passed a license plate reader up ahead. A supervisor at a scene can see live drone video and know exactly where that drone is in relation to the incident.
Preparing for Drone Mitigation Authority
The NYPD has the capability to detect drones but lacks the authority to take them down. The department expects to receive authority from the White House this year and continues to prepare by investing millions of dollars in mitigation equipment and completing all necessary training. The preparation ensures that the NYPD will be positioned to commence drone mitigation operations as soon as legally allowed, which is essential as we look ahead to events that will soon take place in New York City, such as the World Cup, the 250th birthday of the United State of America, and the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
Appointing Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Reverend A.R. Bernard as NYPD Co-Chief Chaplains
Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Reverend A.R. Bernard will serve as the two co-chief chaplains of the NYPD, overseeing the Chaplains Unit and their work providing spiritual assistance and moral guidance to all members of the department and their families. Cardinal Dolan led the Archdiocese of New York for almost two decades, guiding one of the largest faith communities in the country and serving as a steady civic and moral leader for New Yorkers across all five boroughs. Rev. A.R. Bernard founded the Christian Cultural Center, one of the largest and most well-known congregations in New York City. He has spent decades serving families across the five boroughs, building a ministry known for outreach, counseling, and deep engagement with the community. Cardinal Dolan and Rev. Bernard will be installed at a ceremony on Feb. 24, 2026.
Naming the Police Academy in Honor of Detective Steven D. McDonald
Detective Steven D. McDonald was shot and paralyzed in the line of duty on July 12, 1986. Despite his life changing in unimaginable ways, Detective McDonald became a role model for all officers, living a life of courage and defined by dignity and forgiveness. Detective McDonald tragically passed away on Jan. 10, 2017. In honor of his memory and in recognition of his profound impact on the department, the Police Academy will be named after Detective Steven McDonald, ensuring every officer who walks through the academy doors is able to look towards him as a role model. There will be an official naming ceremony on July 16, 2026 — 42 years to the day Detective McDonald entered the Police Academy.
No comments:
Post a Comment