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New York City Transit Police

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New York City Transit Police Department
File:Nytpdp.PNG
New York City Transit Police Seal pre-1995
Agency overview
FormedNovember 17, 1933
DissolvedApril 2, 1995
JurisdictionNew York City
EmployeesAbsorbed into the New York City Police Department[1]
Parent agencyNew York City Police Department

The New York City Transit Police Department,established in 1933, was a transit police department responsible for the protection of New York City Subway lines. In 1949 the department was officially divorced from the New York City Police Department, but was eventually fully re-integrated in 1995 as the Transit Bureau of the New York City Police Department by New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. It is now largely incorporated into the New York City Police Department's Transportation Bureau. Headquarters for the NYPD Transit Bureau are located at 130 Livingston Street in Brooklyn Heights.[2]

History of the transit police

Rapid transit has played an integral part in the lives of New Yorkers for well over one hundred years. The first trains ran at grade level and on elevated structures. Underground trains were added on October 27, 1904 when, after taking four and a half years to build, the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) opened to the public. Since both the IRT and the competing BMT (Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit) lines were privately financed and built, they had no police, but only their own private security personnel. The new IND (Independent) lines, however, which began operating in 1932, were owned by New York City and run by the Board of Transportation. These lines originally had "station supervisors" employed to police them, their names having been taken from the New York City Police Department's hiring list.[3]

File:Nyctpd60.gif
A New York City Transit Police Officer and his vehicle circa the 1960's.

On November 17, 1933, six men were sworn as New York State Railway Police. They were unarmed but were still responsible for the safety of the passengers on the IND line, as well as guarding the system's property. Two years later, 20 "station supervisors, class B" were added for police duty. Responsible for assisting in the opening and closing of doors and announcing destinations, these 26 "specials" were soon given powers of arrest, but only on the IND line. And thus the New York City Transit Police Department was born.

In 1937, 160 more men were added to this police force. Additionally, 3 lieutenants, 1 captain, and 1 inspector from the NYPD were assigned as supervisors. When the privately-run IRT and BMT lines were taken over by New York City in 1940, the small patrol force on the IND line nearly doubled in size. Now part of the Civil Service system, more Transit supervisors were needed. In 1942, the first promotional exam was given for the title of "Special Patrolman Grade 2" - or what is now known as a sergeant.

The Code of Criminal Procedure was changed in 1947 granting Transit patrolmen peace officer status and by 1950, the number of "specials" reached 563. The following year, exams were held for both Transit sergeants and lieutenants. In 1953, the New York City Transit Authority came into being and assumed control over all the subway lines from the old Board of Transportation.

Beginning in 1949, the question as to who should supervise the Transit Police Department was one which was carefully scrutinized over the next five years by various city officials. The issue being considered was, "Should Transit be taken over by the New York City Police Department?" In 1955, the decision was made that the Transit Police Department would become a separate and distinctly different department, ending almost two decades of rule by the New York City Police Department. The Civil Service Commission established a new test for Transit recruits, and on April 4, 1955 the first appointments from the list were made. An NYPD lieutenant, Thomas O'Rourke, was also designated the first commanding officer of the Transit Police Department. Soon after, Lieutenant O'Rourke along with 9 others, passed the captain's exam. Captain O'Rourke was the appointed as the first Chief of the new department.

With crime on the rise, the number of Transit officers increased so that by 1966, the Department had grown to 2,272 officers. That year, Robert H. Rapp was appointed Chief by the NYC Transit Authority. Under Chief Rapp, and at the direction of the Mayor, an ambitious new anti-crime program got underway. The program had a goal of assigning an officer to each of New York City's subway trains between the hours of 8:00 PM and 4:00 AM. And the Transit Police Department continued to grow. By early 1975, the department comprised nearly 3,600 members.

In 1975, a former NYPD chief inspector and sometime City Council president, Sanford D. Garelik, was appointed Chief of the Transit Police Department. Determined to reorganize the Transit Police Department, Chief Garelik was also successful in instilling a new sense of pride and professionalism among the ranks. However, the fiscal crisis that began that year was an unexpected blow - especially to Transit cops. Over the next five years, layoffs and attrition would reduce their numbers to fewer than 2,800. New officers would not be hired until 1980. By the early 1990's however, the Transit Police Department had regained all of its former strength and had increased even further. In 1994, there were almost 4,500 uniformed and civilian members of the Department, making it the sixth largest police force in the United States. [4]

Merger with the NYPD

Over time, however, the separation between the NYPD and the NYC Transit Police Department created more and more problems. Redundancy of units, difficulty in communications, and differences in procedures all created frustration and inefficiency. As part of his mayoral campaign, candidate Rudolph Giuliani pledged to end the long unresolved discussion and merge all three of New York City's police departments (the NYPD, the Transit Police, and the NYC Housing Authority Police Department) into a single, coordinated force. Mayor Giuliani took office on January 1, 1994, and immediately undertook to fulfill his promise and end a problem that had defied final solution for almost half a century.

New York City Transit Police Vehicle before the 1995 merger with the NYPD.
New York City Police Department Transit Division vehicle.

Discussions between the City and the New York City Transit Authority produced a memorandum of understanding, and on April 2, 1995, the NYC Transit Police was consolidated with the New York City Police Department to become a new Bureau within the NYPD. After a reorganization of the Department in February of 1997, the Transit Bureau became the Transit Division within the newly formed Transportation Bureau. The Transportation Bureau dissolved in the Spring of 1998 and in July of 1999, the Transit Division once again became the Transit Bureau. The Transit Bureau has entered the new millenium and shall continue to provide dedicated police protection to the nation's largest rapid transit system in the 21st century. [5]

Jobs of the transit police

One main task of the Transit Police was its defense of the subway system from defacement. Graffiti was very prominent throughout the subway system by the mid-1980s and the city government took a hard line in response, though some saw it instead as a "social trend" and a sign of diversity. The Transit Police, and specifically a new unit called the Vandal Squad began to fine and arrest those painting graffiti. They also made a policy to remove any work of graffiti within 24 hours of its creation. By the end of the 1980s, the Transit Police had effectively solved the problem of graffiti in the subway system.[6]

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the NYPD Transit Bureau responsibilities broadened and became more obvious. The New York City Transit System, primarily the subway system, was vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Afterwards the NYPD Transit Bureau implemented the "Random Bag Checks". Police Officers usually will set up a table in a station by a token booth. Then one of every five people will be chosen to show the contents of their bag or package. The program came under fire because some believed "Random Bag Checks" violated the people of their rights. Regardless, the "Random Bag Checks" are implemented at stations all across the subway system.

In November 2006, the NYPD Transit Bureau deployed the first K-9 troops devoted exclusively to the subways of New York City. Four German shepherds began work, with five more expected by mid-December. The unit is expected to grow to 27, bringing the total number of NYPD K-9s to 61, making it the largest K-9 unit in the country.[7]

Transit police auxiliary police officers

Further information: NYPD Auxiliary Police

Two weeks after the 2005 London bombings, a new directive stated that New York City would institute a citywide transit Auxiliary program with the intent of reducing crime and fighting terrorism in the city's transit system. Transit Auxiliary officers work out of Transit precincts known as Districts and carry Transit issued portable radios. Transit Auxiliary Police periodically perform inspections of the subway station(s)/platforms which they are assigned to, taking note of any suspicious occurrences, and set up a fixed post at the subway turnstiles, or token booths. Due to the common medical emergency calls in Transit, if medically qualified, Transit Auxiliaries can respond to medical emergencies if they are close to that subway station.[8]


Since being a specialized unit, many Transit Auxiliary Police Officers are "track certified" by the MTA. Some Transit Auxiliary Police Officers have training in the "Gas Mask" which is also known as NYPD Counter-Terrorism Training. Transit Auxiliary Police give the extra needed police presence during rush hour times in the morning and evening. Transit Auxiliaries also work with the Crime Prevention Officer's by "hitting" or going to stations with a rise in crime-rates by handing out Crime Prevention material to the public, and assisting in etching electronic devices. Within the two years of it's establishment, Transit Auxiliary Police Officers have proven to have become an asset to the NYPD Transit Bureau.[9]

Transit police in movies

The transit police were made famous in several films including The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and Money Train.


See also


References

  1. ^ New York City Government, 2002, Accessed August 29, 2007.
  2. ^ New York City Government, 2002, Accessed August 29, 2007.
  3. ^ New York City Government, 2002, Accessed August 29, 2007.
  4. ^ New York City Government, 2002, Accessed August 29, 2007.
  5. ^ New York City Government, 2002, Accessed August 29, 2007.
  6. ^ New York City Police Department, 2002, Accessed August 29, 2007.
  7. ^ New York City Police Department, 2002, Accessed August 29, 2007.
  8. ^ New York City Auxiliary Police PBA,A.P.S. DIRECTIVE # 7; 2005, Accessed August 29, 2007.
  9. ^ New York City Auxiliary Police PBA,A.P.S. DIRECTIVE # 7; 2005, Accessed August 29, 2007.

New York City Police Department Transit Bureau



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