Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch delivered her 2026 State of the NYPD address at One Police Plaza in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday, Feb. 10, during which she announced the division of The Bronx into two patrol borough commands, Bronx North and Bronx South. She also highlighted the department’s other new strategies aimed at keeping New York City safe, investing in accountability and training, and modernizing policing.

 

Tisch said the NYPD delivered the safest year ever for gun violence in 2025, with the fewest shooting incidents and shooting victims in recorded history, according to NYPD statistics. Additionally, according to the NYPD, last year saw major crime declines in all five boroughs, as well as the lowest index crime in the subways since 2009, excluding the pandemic years.

 

“Together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and we say with renewed certainty that the state of the NYPD is strong,” said Tisch. “A year ago, I set clear expectations for the NYPD. New Yorkers deserved a police department that was stable in its leadership, disciplined in its operations, serious about its standards, and focused relentlessly on public safety.”

 

The commissioner added, “I made promises to our cops, and to all the people we serve. And 2025 was about keeping those promises, and exceeding those expectations. In 2026, that doesn’t change. Our crime-fighting posture remains the same, the standards we hold ourselves to remain the same, and the commitment to support the noble men and women of the NYPD remains absolute.”

 

One of the NYPD’s latest initiatives, announced by Tisch, is the division of The Bronx into two patrol borough commands, Bronx North and Bronx South, starting in the spring. Tisch said this change will bring nearly 200 additional police officers to the borough, strengthen the NYPD’s ability to respond to the different needs across neighborhoods, and add additional specialized units in The Bronx, including homicide squad detectives, evidence collection teams, narcotics teams, Neighborhood Safety Teams, and auto crime units.

 

She said that currently, The Bronx is organized under a single patrol borough command, with one leadership structure overseeing every precinct, while Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens have each long since moved to two patrol borough commands to handle the volume of work there.

 

Tisch said The Bronx has experienced more crime per capita than any other borough while operating under a structure that has not kept pace with the demands placed on it. She said in 2025, The Bronx accounted for more than one third of all shooting incidents and shooting victims citywide, roughly three times those of Queens and Manhattan. She said the borough also recorded more major crimes than Manhattan and Queens, and nearly the same as Brooklyn. She said Bronx residents also generated nearly one million calls for service last year, more than Queens and nearly equal to Manhattan.

Other announced initiatives included the following measures:

 

Overhaul of In-Service Training 

To better prepare police officers for situations they might encounter and continue to be responsive to community needs, Tisch said the NYPD is launching the most significant overhaul of in-service training in decades. Officers will participate in a recurring, focused, weeklong in-service training program that will continue throughout their careers. The training will cover a wide range of topics, including tactics, de-escalation, constitutional policing, legal standards, and situational awareness.

 

Modernizing the NYPD’s 311 System

The commissioner said the NYPD is rolling out a new digital dispatch system for 311 jobs assigned to the NYPD’s Q-Teams [quality-of-life teams] to ensure responses are handled with the same level of structure and accountability as 911 jobs. Officers will be able to better track, respond to, and close out 311 jobs, protecting quality of life for all New Yorkers, she said.

 

Digitizing NYPD Precinct Command Logs  

The commissioner said since the department’s founding in 1845, precinct operations have been recorded by hand, in a paper logbook, including staffing, roll call, inspections, equipment, overtime, property, and compliance checks. She said the department will transition to digital precinct command logs, providing leadership a clear, real-time picture of what is happening across their precinct.

 

Introducing DAS 2.0 for Real-Time Policing  

Tisch said the Domain Awareness System (DAS) is a platform that was created in 2014 to give officers real-time information to support patrol responses and investigations in one central location. DAS 2.0 brings real-time awareness directly into the field, according to the NYPD. An officer driving on the FDR can be alerted that a stolen car just passed a license plate reader up ahead, for example. A supervisor at a scene can see live drone video and know exactly where that drone is in relation to the incident.

Preparing for Drone Mitigation Authority

Tisch said the NYPD has the capability to detect drones but lacks the authority to take them down. She said the department expects to receive authority from the White House this year and continues to prepare by investing millions of dollars in mitigation equipment and completing all necessary training.

 

She said the preparation ensures that the NYPD will be positioned to commence drone mitigation operations as soon as legally allowed, which she said is essential as the department looks ahead to events that will soon take place in New York City, like the World Cup, the 250th birthday of the United State of America, and the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

 

Appointing Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Reverend A.R. Bernard as NYPD Co-Chief Chaplains 

The commissioner said Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Reverend A.R. Bernard will serve as the two co-chief chaplains of the NYPD, overseeing the Chaplains Unit and their work, providing spiritual assistance and moral guidance to all members of the department and their families. She said Dolan led the Archdiocese of New York for almost two decades, guiding one of the largest faith communities in the country and serving as a steady civic and moral leader for New Yorkers across all five boroughs.

 

She said Bernard founded the Christian Cultural Center, one of the largest and most well-known congregations in New York City. She said he has spent decades serving families across the five boroughs, building a ministry known for outreach, counseling, and deep engagement with the community. Dolan and Bernard will be installed at a ceremony on Feb. 24.

 

“As I was thinking about who should be the next Chief Chaplain of the NYPD, one Hebrew word kept coming to mind, Tzadik, a person of righteousness. Cardinal Dolan and Reverend Bernard are two of the most righteous people this city has ever known,” Tisch said. Dolan recently retired as archbishop of New York, and was succeeded last week by Bishop Ronald Hicks.

 

Naming the Police Academy in Honor of Detective Steven D. McDonald

Tisch said NYPD Detective Steven D. McDonald was shot and paralyzed in the line of duty on July 12, 1986. Despite his life changing in unimaginable ways, she said McDonald became a role model for all officers, living a life of courage and defined by dignity and forgiveness. She said McDonald tragically passed away on Jan. 10, 2017. In honor of his memory and in recognition of what she said was his profound impact on the department, the Police Academy will be named after McDonald, “ensuring every officer who walks through the academy doors is able to look towards him as a role model.” There will be an official naming ceremony on July 16, 42 years to the day McDonald entered the Police Academy.