The New York City Police Department, the largest and most highly funded police force in the United States, has come under scrutiny after failing to apprehend a shooter in a crowded Brooklyn subway station. The Onion looks at the biggest controversies and most high-octane moments in the NYPD’s nearly 200-year history.
1845: New York City solves both its rising poverty and crime rates by giving gangs of impoverished Irish immigrants jobs in which they can commit crimes legally.
1898: Department forced to expand to Brooklyn to find enough stations to accommodate the rising number of officers on desk duty.
1911: Samuel J. Battle arrested while being sworn in as NYPD’s first Black police officer.
1966: At least five crimes taking place in background of tourist picture taken with Times Square beat cop.
1970: Knapp Commission to investigate police corruption is brought to secluded area of the Bronx and advised that it’s in the commission’s best interest to take this envelope and mind its own business.
2000: Rookie officer Troy Lucchesi reaches landmark 1 millionth hour of overtime pay after just three months on the force.
2002: NYPD caught using body cams to film fire department’s softball practices before the big game.
2013: Unconstitutional, racist “stop-and-frisk” policy replaced with unconstitutional, racist unnamed policy.
2014: Nearly every one of the 35,000 sworn officers gets through entire year without choking a man to death for selling loose cigarettes.
2022: One subway security camera fixed.