NYPD aims to curb domestic violence, bolster detective ranks, with new unit

The NYPD is bolstering its efforts to reduce a type of crime seemingly immune from the city's overall drop in violent offenses by moving precinct domestic violence officers into a new unit within the detective bureau.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Mayor Eric Adams announced the shift of personnel Thursday as part of a wide-ranging effort to investigate domestic violence cases more effectively and efficiently, while at the same time making victims comfortable and safe so they are willing to cooperate with police.

"This new unit will handle the entire domestic violence process," Adams said. "That means more resources to our victims and more cops to bring abusers to justice."

The move also is seen as a way to bolster the NYPD's investigative efforts regarding domestic violence and serious crime overall by providing another path to promotion, while there has been a slow hemorrhaging of detectives in recent years.

Tisch said putting the precinct investigators under the command of the detective bureau sets them on an 18-month career path to becoming regular detectives.

Adams, who recalled growing up in an abusive household, said there was a 29% increase in domestic violence complaints in the past year, notably from within marginalized communities and particularly victimizing Black women.

Despite record-low levels of violent crime, Tisch said domestic violence has been the outlier, rising 41% since 2020. She said domestic violence assaults alone have accounted for more than 40% of felony assaults recorded by the NYPD.

"In short, this new unit now gives [domestic violence] cases the same focused attention as gun violence or hate crimes," the police commissioner said.

Some 450 precinct officers currently involved in handling domestic violence complaints will come under the umbrella of the detective bureau, Tisch said. Currently, local precincts have a sergeant and two or three officers handling such complaints, said a department expert.

Scott Munro, head of the Detectives’ Endowment Association, welcomed the reorganization but noted the year-and-a-half wait before officers are eligible for promotion to detective.

Munro questioned whether enough of the officers will be promoted in time to replenish the NYPD's detective bureau after it has lost so many seasoned investigators. So far in 2025, 720 detectives have retired, leaving just under 5,000 gumshoes. In September 2001, by comparison, the NYPD had 7,100 detectives, the labor leader said.

Uncertainty about the upcoming mayoral election also could affect decisions by detectives to remain on the job, Munro added. Some law enforcement experts have pointed out that Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani has said he would keep the current authorized strength of the NYPD, now at just over 35,000 officers.

The NYPD personnel webpage states there are 33,700 officers. But given the current attrition rate of 300 officers a month through retirements, it is not clear that the department can keep up with attrition, the experts have said.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.