NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — New York City is taking "nation-leading action" to combat the rise in domestic and gender-based violence with the launch of the NYPD's Domestic Violence Unit, the largest specialized unit of its kind in the nation.
Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced the launch of the NYPD's Domestic Violence Unit, which will be staffed by approximately 450 dedicated domestic violence investigators, who will streamline cases by handling the entire process from beginning to end, ensuring consistent support for victims.
"Public safety is not limited to our streets and subways, it extends to our homes, too... We have a sacred duty to protect survivors... This new investigative unit will handle the entire domestic violence process for victims, which means more resources to help victims and more cops to bring abusers to justice," Adams said.
The new structure includes mandatory two-day in-person training for investigators and the creation of Domestic Violence Misdemeanor Investigation Card (I-Card) Teams to quickly locate and apprehend domestic violence suspects.
Commissioner Tisch called the new approach "survivor-centric, trauma-informed" and focused on taking "violent predators out of our communities."
The full roll-out of the DVU across all five boroughs will begin next week.