NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch joined New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, and other local Bronx elected and NYPD officials on Wednesday, May 20, in the South Bronx to formally launch the implementation of The Bronx’s new two-borough patrol structure, first announced in February, as reported at the time.

 

As reported in February, it is the first time in NYPD history, The Bronx is being divided into two separate patrol commands, bringing it in line with Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, which are also split in two. The split was generally regarded as overdue given the high level of crime The Bronx contends with on a daily basis. As reported in March, while crime has decreased citywide in recent years and months, The Bronx had continued to see rising crime rates in certain categories.

 

“Today is long overdue for the residents of The Bronx, for the officers doing this work, and for a borough that has carried one of the heaviest public safety burdens anywhere in this city,” said Tisch. “For years, The Bronx continued operating under a single patrol borough command while the demands placed on this borough continued to grow.”

 

According to the NYPD officials, The Bronx handles the highest volume of police work anywhere in New York City. They said, last year alone, The Bronx received nearly one million 911 calls, the most calls for service citywide, while continuing to operate under a single patrol borough structure. They said the creation of two command divisions will allow the NYPD to deploy resources more effectively, strengthen borough-level oversight, and tailor policing strategies to the specific needs of individual communities.

 

The commissioner added, “The creation of Bronx North and Bronx South is one of the most significant operational changes to policing in the Bronx in decades, and it is about equity, ensuring that Bronx residents receive the same level of oversight, resources, and operational support that communities in other boroughs have had for years.

 

This restructuring will bring more specialized units, more oversight, and nearly 200 additional cops into Bronx communities. And importantly, this is not a response to failure — it is a decision to build on success. The Bronx is already leading the city in crime reduction, and this restructuring will strengthen the precision policing strategies driving those historic declines.”

 

Tisch also announced that NYPD Assistant Chief Benjamin D. Gurley, will be overseeing Patrol Borough Bronx North (PBXN), while Assistant Chief Brian C. Hennessy will be running Patrol Borough Bronx South (PBXS). Four days later, on Sunday, May 24, Gurley was reportedly involved in an off-duty shooting incident in Rockland County. Norwood News reached out to the Haverstraw Police Department, Rockland County District Attorney’s office, and the New York Attorney General’s office for details of the incident. The attorney general’s office referred us to the Rockland County DA. We will share any other updates we receive.

We also reached out to the NYPD to ask about Gurley’s status pending the investigation into the incident. An NYPD spokesperson replied saying, “On Sunday night, an NYPD executive was involved in an off-duty incident in the Town of Haverstraw. The Haverstraw Police Department is leading the investigation into that incident. The matter is also under review by the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division and Internal Affairs Bureau. The executive’s duty status is modified.” We asked for clarification if the modified status meant Gurley was still leading Bronx Patrol North or if he was suspended. We will share any updates we receive.   

 

According to NYPD records, Gurley became a police officer in 2000 on patrol in The Bronx’s 41st Precinct, was promoted to sergeant in 2005, to lieutenant in 2010, to captain in 2012, to deputy inspector in 2016, to inspector in 2019, to deputy chief in 2021, and was promoted to his current rank of assistant chief and commanding officer of PBXN in August 2023.

 

They said Hennessy joined the NYPD in August 1998 and began his career in Queens’ 111th Precinct and later served as the commanding officer of the Bronx’s 40th Precinct. They said in December 2024, he was elevated to his current rank of assistant chief and appointed commanding officer of Patrol Borough Queens North.

 

In April, as reported, according to prevailing Bronx crime statistics, rape crimes in the 28-day period ending April 26 had increased by 450% in the 52nd Precinct, and by 400% in the 50th Precinct as of the same date. Other sex crimes had also increased by 300% in the 50th Precinct. [Read more on the topic of renewed efforts at the State level to implement new laws to aide the prosecution of rape crimes in specific cases involving voluntary intoxication here].

 

Meanwhile, Tisch said on May 20 that PBXN will be headquartered at the current 48th Precinct stationhouse, which covers the Bronx neighborhoods of Belmont, East Tremont, and West Farms, as well as Fordham University’s Bronx campus, the Cross Bronx Expressway, and Crotona Park. She said PBXN will comprise NYPD Precincts 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, and 52. while PBXS will be headquartered at the newly renovated former 40th Precinct in the South Bronx, and will comprise Precincts 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45.

 

The split will create a “more focused and effective approach to fighting crime across the borough” according to the NYPD. Officials said the new structure will deliver nearly 200 more cops, create the physical space for new commands, and modernize systems across the department, including CompStat, the crime statistic reporting tool used by the NYPD.

 

NYPD officials said PBXN and PBXS will each have dedicated personnel and specialized units, including homicide squads, evidence collection teams, Neighborhood Safety Teams, narcotics teams, and auto crime units. They said the restructuring builds on what was described as the NYPD’s successful strategy to drive down crime in the borough, with major crime down more than 15% in April and 11% year-to-date.

“Our city is experiencing historic declines in crime and violence, and the creation of a second command center in the Bronx will help us build on that progress,” the mayor said at the formal implementation launch. “I want to thank the men and women of the New York City Police Department and Commissioner Tisch for their partnership and continued hard work to keep New Yorkers safe. Alongside an Office of Community Safety focused on preventing violence before it happens by connecting New Yorkers to the support they need, we are taking a whole-of-government approach to public safety.”

 

For her part, the governor said, “Since taking office, I have committed over $3 billion to reduce crime and keep New Yorkers safe. Through common-sense reforms, strategic investments, and enhanced collaboration, crime is down across New York City — proof that smart, targeted enforcement works. She added, “I’m grateful to Commissioner Tisch and the NYPD for working to sustain this progress and doubling down on efforts to keep New Yorkers in every borough safe this summer.”

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James also weighed in on the new structure saying, “The people of the Bronx deserve to feel safe in their homes and on their streets. We know that every corner of our city has its own unique needs, and community-focused precision policing is how we meet them. This new approach will help keep Bronx families safe and better equip the NYPD as they continue to serve and protect our communities. I thank Commissioner Tisch and the NYPD for their commitment to improving public safety for all New Yorkers, in every borough.”

NYPD officials said the announcement comes as major crime in The Bronx, as a whole, was down for the month of April and year-to-date, with a 15.5% and 11% decrease, respectively. They said the Bronx had its fewest murders in recorded history for the month of April with four.

They said shooting incidents as a whole were down 58% in April, the second fewest in recorded history for the borough and only two behind the record set in April 2018. They said shooting victims declined 65% in April as well, and year-to-date murders were down more than 15%, shooting incidents were down 9%, and shooting victims were down 9.5%.

 

They said at the end of April, the NYPD dismantled a major auto theft ring in The Bronx that stole more than $1 million in auto parts. [Read our story on the indictments here.] Since that takedown, they said The Bronx, as a whole, has experienced a dramatic decrease in auto crime. They said in the first two weeks of May, tire and rim thefts were down 76% compared to the first two weeks of April. Meanwhile, the prevailing major crime statistics for the local 52nd, 46th and 50th Precincts are attached as of April 26 and show an increase in many crime categories.

 

Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), who broadly represents some or all of the Bronx neighborhoods of University Heights, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights, Morris Heights and Fordham, as well as northern Manhattan including Harlem, Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15), who represents a large section of the borough stretching from the northwest to the South Bronx. Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie (A.D. 83), who broadly represents the north to northeast section of the borough, and Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson each issued statements welcoming news of the new structure. They broadly said it would serve to help keep Bronx families feeling safe, supported, and protected.

Meanwhile, Clark said that having two NYPD patrol borough commands adds essential resources to improve public safety throughout the entire borough. “Additional police officers will help prevent crime and strengthen community ties, and localized investigators will enhance already exceptional crime-solving,” she said. “I look forward to this new strategy and continued partnership with Commissioner Tisch and the excellent men and women of the NYPD who serve our great borough. We must stem the violence that plagues the Bronx.”

 

Meanwhile, Councilman Kevin Riley (C.D. 12), who represents much of the north and northeast Bronx, said of the Bronx command patrol split, “The Bronx is made up of many distinct neighborhoods, each with its own strengths, challenges, and public safety needs. The creation of Bronx North and Bronx South is a major investment in public safety that will allow Commissioner Tisch and the NYPD to respond more strategically, strengthen relationships with our communities, and bring critical resources directly to the areas that need them most.”

 

He added, “At a time when the Bronx is leading the city in crime reduction, this announcement shows a real commitment to building on that progress and continuing to keep our families safe.”

Norwood News has reached out to Gurley’s union in efforts to reach his legal representation for comment on the incident and will share any updates we receive.

 

Gurley is presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.