New York City Department of Homeless Services Police

New York City Department of Homeless Services Police
Common name New York City Homeless Services Police
Abbreviation DHSPD

Patch of the New York City Department of Homeless Services Police
Motto Policing With Compassion
Agency overview
Formed 1993
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction* City of New York in the state of New York, USA
Map of New York City Department of Homeless Services Police's jurisdiction.
Size 1,214.4 km²
Population 8,274,527
Legal jurisdiction New York City
General nature
Specialist jurisdiction Buildings and lands occupied or explicitly controlled by the institution and the institution's personnel, and public entering the buildings and precincts of the institution.
Operational structure
Headquarters 33 Beaver Street, New York, NY 10004
Special Officers 400
Agency executive Joseph A. Garcia, Director of Peace Officers
Parent agency New York City Department of Homeless Services
Facilities
Stations 11 Commands
Website
NYC Department of Homeless Services Official Site
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

The New York City Department of Homeless Services Police (NYC DHS Police) is a law enforcement agency in New York City whose duties are to provide onsite security services to the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS), and to enforce state and city laws at all facilities operated by the New York City Department of Homeless Services.

History

The New York City Department of Homeless Services was created in 1993 and made a mayoral agency in 1999. The Department of Homeless Services Police (DHS Police) was started in 1997 with approximately 65 peace officers assigned to various DHS facilities. By 2002, the DHS Police had over 270 peace officers at DHS facilities.

Prior to 1997, there were peace officers stationed at a facility named Camp Laguardia, which was a homeless shelter in Orange County, New York. This facility was run by the New York City Human Resources Administration prior to 1993 as were all other city operated homeless shelters. The HRA Police was the law enforcement agency at the facility. In 1993 when the Department of Homeless Services was formed, the HRA Special officers at the facility were given DHS Police patches and badges. Approximately 40 peace officers were left at the facility including 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 6 sergeants, and the rest were Special officers. All other city run shelters were using private security guards. Camp Laguardia had DHS Special officers assigned to it until it closed. In 1997 when it was observed how well and efficient it was to have peace officers in city run shelters, DHS started placing peace officers in other shelters it operated.[1]

Ranks

Officers begin service and training with the rank of Cadet. After completing peace officer training course and successfully completing various Academic, Physical and Tactical tests, officers graduate the DHS Entry Level Training Academy at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and are sworn into the rank of Special Officer.

Title Insignia Uniform Shirt Color Badge design Badge Color Badge Numbered
Deputy Chief
White Medallion with eagle and star
Inspector
Medallion with eagle silver-gold
Deputy Inspector
Laurels and crown with oak leaves
Captain
Laurels and crown
Lieutenant
Medallion
Sergeant
(sleeve)		 Navy Blue Shield with eagle yellow gold yes
Detective (Field Training Officer or Client Relations Team)
Medallion
Special Officer
Shield silver
Probationary Special Officer
Recruit Officer
Slate Grey none
Title Insignia Badge Design
Deputy Commissioner of Security Services & Emergency Operations
Medallion with eagle and stars
Assistant Commissioner of Security Services & Emergency Operations
Medallion with eagle and stars
Director of Peace Officers
Medallion with eagle and stars

Facilities patrolled

Currently there are 23 facilities that the DHS Special Officers patrols, including single adult and family shelters.

Manhattan

Brooklyn

Bronx

Queens

Training

When the Department of Homeless Services Police was established, the training given to Special officers was a one week peace officer training course. By June 2002, the training course was expanded to four weeks. The current training course is seven weeks long, of which four weeks of training is given at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, two weeks of training is given at the Department of Homeless Services headquarters in Manhattan, and one week of field training is given at Charles Gay Assessment Center located on Wards Island. The training course includes training in law, police science, powers of a peace officer, defensive tactics, community interaction, radio use, arrest procedures, and first aid/CPR, as well as rigorous physical fitness training that including push ups, squats, sit-ups,running and stair Climbs. Re-training is done on a continuous basis at John Jay College and specialized training at the Rockland County Police Academy.

Power and authority

NYC Department of Homeless Services Special Officers are New York State peace officers authorized to make warrantless arrests, issue criminal court summonses and the power to use physical force.

Vehicles

The New York City Department of Homeless Services Police currently utilizes marked vehicles in its fleet including Ford Fusions, Ford Escapes, Ford E-350 vans, Ford Explorers, Chevrolet Express vans, Jeep Cherokees and bikes.[2][3][4][5]

Equipment

NYC Department of Homeless Services Special officers are not authorized the use of firearms on/off duty as per New York State Criminal Procedure Law, though some officers are equipped with a taser[6] and sergeants and above carry pepper spray. Currently, they are equipped with an expandable baton, handcuffs, flashlight, reflective traffic vest, bullet resistant vest, personal handheld metal detectors and a radio that is directly linked to the Central Dispatcher and other officers.

Select officers receive additional training and equipment and are placed in specialty units.[7]

Union representation

New York City Special Officers, which include the DHS Police, the New York City Human Resources Administration Police Department, the New York City Department of Health and Hospitals Police (NYHP), and the New York City Police Department School Safety Division, are represented by Teamsters Local 237, a civil service employee labor union headed by President Gregory Floyd, a former HYHP Captain.[8]

See also

A NYC Department of Homeless Services Police Task Force patch.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.nyc.gov/html/dhs/downloads/pdf/stratplan.pdf About the New York City Department of Homeless Services
  2. ↑ "DHS Department of Homeless Services Police Van, Harlem NYC". Flickr – Photo Sharing!. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  3. ↑ "DHS Department of Homeless Services Police Van, Harlem NYC". Flickr – Photo Sharing!. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "DHS Department of Homeless Services Police Van, New York City". Flickr – Photo Sharing!. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  5. ↑ "DHS Department of Homeless Services Police Van, New York City". Flickr – Photo Sharing!. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  6. ↑ NYC DHS Peace Officers
  7. ↑ DHS & Local 237. 18 November 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2016 – via YouTube.
  8. ↑ "237 Overview: President's Biography". Teamsters Local 237 City Employees Union. Retrieved March 2015.

External links

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