175th anniversary of the New York City Police Department

May 21, 2020

To the Members of the New York City Police Department:

The face of policing has changed a lot since 1845, but the nature of the work itself has not.

In celebrating our 175th anniversary this week, we’re reminded of the many experiences through which NYPD members have persevered: economic collapses and recoveries, world war and Cold War, sweeping social and cultural upheaval, terror attacks, natural disasters, extraordinary advances in technology, and much more.

At the birth of the NYPD, the city’s first full-time, professional police force – which immediately became known as New York’s Finest – the population was just 320,000. Residents, workers, and visitors had been served by an antiquated Night Watch system and a small handful of marshals, constables, and officers. In the years since, the population exploded to more than 8.6 million. And so, too, did your responsibilities.

In the first half of 2020, you established a new benchmark for police performance. First, you achieved the lowest number of index crimes in the modern CompStat era. Second, you continue to battle an invisible enemy that has claimed the lives of nearly four dozen members of our NYPD family, and has ushered in never-imagined duties related to social-distancing education and enforcement.

This is certainly the year of the coronavirus pandemic – not so far removed from the influenza outbreak of 1918, which took a tremendous toll on New Yorkers and proved to be the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history. From the Draft Riots to the September 11th attacks, and in so many other ways, our collective past has always seen the police perform at their highest levels, even as humanity endured its most-tragic lows.

One constant through it all has been the NYPD. Never forget that you represent all the members – past, present, and future – who make up the greatest police department in the world. And the 175th-anniversary breast bar or lapel pin you’ll soon receive will serve as visible reminders that we’ll always be here, protecting every neighborhood and keeping all New Yorkers safe.

That’s the foundation of pride upon which the NYPD was built. And it’s your unwavering dedication to service that maintains the NYPD’s well-earned reputation as the gold standard for all other police departments. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you do. Always stay safe.

Sincerely,

Dermot Shea
Police Commissioner