NYPD to add 200 officers as The Bronx splits into two patrol boroughs
Officials say the shift is intended to improve response times and bring additional resources to neighborhoods with high demand for police services.
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The NYPD will permanently assign 200 more officers to The Bronx as part of a major restructuring that divides the borough into two patrol boroughs, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced Wednesday.
Bronx Patrol Borough South will be headquartered at the former 40th Precinct building on Alexander Avenue in Mott Haven, and Bronx Patrol Borough North, which will continue operating out of command center in the 48th Precinct.
Officials say the shift is intended to improve response times and bring additional resources to neighborhoods with high demand for police services.
The Bronx got more than one million calls for service last year — the highest of any borough — yet had been one of the last areas of the city operating under a single command structure.
Tisch said the decision is meant to strengthen existing operations, noting that major crime is down 11% in the borough since the start of the year, and 15% in April.
"Bronx residents have raised this issue with the NYPD for years,” she said. “They’re asking a fair question — why should a borough carrying this level of demand continue operating under a structure that would not be acceptable elsewhere in New York City? The answer is it should not."
The newly assigned officers will support several specialized units, including homicide, narcotics, auto crime and Neighborhood Safety Teams. Some of the officers are new recruits who recently graduated from the police academy.
Some residents say they hope the additional staffing will make a difference.
“Kids need to feel safer when they are out, we all need to feel safer,” said Llumi Torres of Mott Haven.
The announcement comes as the city launches its Summer Violence Reduction Plan, which will place just over 2,000 officers on overnight and early‑morning foot patrols in more than 70 high‑priority areas through Labor Day.
