The following is a list of the numerous characters that appeared on NYPD Blue during the twelve seasons it was on the air.
Main 15th Squad detectives
Andy Sipowicz
Bobby Simone
Greg Medavoy
John Kelly
Danny Sorenson
John Clark, Jr.
Diane Russell
James Martinez
Baldwin Jones
Connie McDowell
Rita Ortiz
Laura Murphy
Adrienne Lesniak—Joined the squad in Season 2 to get away from the abusive cop from another precinct whom she had been dating. Adrienne quickly earned the squad's respect as a strong investigator and caught the eye of Det. Martinez, but she sought to avoid his romantic interests in Season 3 by falsely claiming to be a lesbian. Later on, Adrienne and James did begin dating. However, Adrienne quickly emerged as clingy and critical, even ranting at James when she wrongly thought he was sleeping with an informant. She apologized and understood when James ended their relationship, though she was deeply hurt by its end. Adrienne appeared for the last time in Season 3's finale and her departure was never explained on the show; her lone post-Season 3 reference came when Greg and James discussed another cop who claimed to be gay and wondered whether she was telling the truth (she was) or doing what Adrienne had done. Played by Justine Miceli.
Jill Kirkendall — Jill joined the 15th in Season 4 as the replacement for Adrienne Lesniak, and showed her superb abilities as a cop right away. She briefly and casually dated Bobby Simone before he returned to Diane's side, but over time she and Diane became best friends. Jill later dated ADA Leo Cohen, and balanced her job with being the single mother of two boys; she showed a great ability to empathize with parents and young adults. Her career was ruined by her 'addiction' to her worthless ex-husband and her subsequent flight to save her kids and escape prosecution for her unwitting involvement in his criminal activities. Played by Andrea Thompson.
Kelly Ronson—Came over from Brooklyn North late in Season 11 after the welcome departure of Det. Stan Hatcher. She raised a few eyebrows at the 15th when she said she was studying for her law degree at night school, but she and Rita Ortiz worked well together. She was left unsettled when John Clark's mentally unbalanced girlfriend accused her of sleeping with him, though nothing else happened to her afterwards. She left the show between Seasons 11 and 12 and her absence was not noted. Played by Jessalyn Gilsig.
15th Squad commanders
Lt. Arthur Fancy
Lt. Susan Dalto (Denise Crosby)— An obnoxious, abrasive, condescending supervisor who immediately got off on the wrong foot with all her subordinates when she was assigned as Fancy's replacement. Though she worked in Internal Affairs and had no field experience, she announced that because she'd completed the qualification course for supervisors, she was already capable of running a detective squad. She criticized Fancy to his face and to the other detectives, though the detectives liked and respected Fancy. She criticized in full view of the squad the wardrobe choices of her female detectives (such as the heels on their shoes being too high for running), and threatened reprimands if they didn't make immediate corrections. She announced that she intended to immediately change partner assignments, with no initial observation on her part of how current assignments were working, or input from those affected. She informed Sipowicz, again in full view of the squad, that she intended to watch him closely, making it clear that she intended to have him fired. Dalto was a lesbian, and John Irvin knew her from a gay police officers' association; he disliked her so much that he threatened to quit if she stayed. McDowell asked Fancy if she could transfer out, even though she was a recent arrival; Fancy counseled her to stay put so she didn't acquire a reputation as someone who couldn't get along with her bosses. After it became clear that Dalto was making the detective squad dysfunctional, Fancy called in a favor from Cpt. Bass, which resulted in Dalto's immediate transfer to a new assignment.
Lt. Tony Rodriguez
Lt. Shanley (Alan Feinstein)—Filled in for Lt. Rodriguez when Rodriguez was suspended after Fraker's attempt to frame him. During his brief tenure, Shanley engaged in not-so-subtle sexual harassment of Det. McDowell, and she threatened to punch him if he continued. Shanley departed after Rodriguez's suspension was lifted and he resumed command.
Sgt. Eddie Gibson (John F. O'Donohue)—Eddie first emerged as a blustering acquaintance of Andy's who knew Andy when he was drinking; he later got Andy to date his niece Cynthia in spite of Andy's reluctance. Eddie was a longtime third grade detective on the night shift, but he requested transfer to the 15th's day tour in Season 9. Andy found out Eddie had only moved to days because he was hoping for a promotion; he was suffering from colon cancer and afraid his family wouldn't be able to live on his third grade pension and benefits if he died. Andy and Lt. Rodriguez then gave Gibson credit for a major arrest, which resulted in his advancement by two steps to detective first grade; Eddie then left the 15th to successfully treat his cancer. Gibson and his wife raised foster children, and Sipowicz and Clark asked for his help to place an abused teenage boy Clark wanted to help; Gibson and his wife ended up agreeing to become the boy's foster parents. In Season 11, Eddie shocked everyone when he got promoted to the leadership position in the 15th after Tony left, because he'd passed the Sergeant's exam and there weren't enough Lieutenants to fill command slots. Eddie initially took a hands-off approach as boss, which was fine when he let the cops work their cases but not when he let a dirty cop nearly ruin Andy's career. As time went on, he took a more assertive approach, and began to earn the grudging respect of the squad. Eddie's departure was explained in Season 12 when the newly-assigned Lt. Bale said that Gibson had been reassigned because the 15th had been designated a rogue unit in need of reform.
Lt. Thomas Bale (Currie Graham)—Bale joined the squad at the beginning of the twelfth and final season, replacing Sgt. Eddie Gibson as the squad commander. A former internal affairs officer, his original remit was to bring the supposed rogue unit into line after years of supposed lax commanding by his predecessors, Arthur Fancy, Tony Rodriguez and Gibson. To this end, he cut down on overtime, fined officers who broke even the smallest rules, and chewed out anyone who didn't follow procedures 100%. He was looked upon by the squad itself as a 'rat' and the elder members of the squad, Andy Sipowicz and Greg Medavoy were of the opinion that he was put in the squad to ensure that they retired, and he was far too eager to encourage Andy to take the NYPD Sergeant's exam. When Medavoy was found to be moonlighting as a doorman, Bale brought disciplinary charges against him, causing Medavoy to question his position on the job. During the investigation surrounding attacks on married men who were actually gay, Sipowicz came across Bale's credit card in a suspect's apartment. When Andy returned the card to a stunned Lt. Bale and told him the case was closed, and that he had no intention of using the information against Bale, Bale's attitude towards Andy and the rest of the squad changed considerably; while he was still all-business, he trusted the detectives to run their cases and use their own judgment in the process. Towards the end of the season Bale was shot during a raid and the now Sgt. Sipowicz was put in charge of the investigation. When Bale discovered that he might not be able to return to the job, he recommended Sipowicz to be the new squad commander. In the series finale, Bale visited Andy at the 15th and told him he would have no problem doing the day-to-day job or protecting his people, and would figure out how to deal with the NYPD brass as he went along.
Lt. Jeff Henry (Sam McMurray)—A floating supervisor who worked in precincts when they were shorthanded. Assigned to the 15th to fill in for Bale after Bale was shot, he was a lax boss, and was primarily interested in playing golf. Henry's disinterest in actively running the detective squad served as a motivator for Sipowicz, who took up Bale on his offer to recommend Sipowicz as his permanent replacement.
Sgt. Andy Sipowicz
Insp. Aiello (Andy Romano)—Where most superiors on BLUE tended to be either wonderful (Bass) or horrible (Haverill), Aiello was kind of a centrist: he sided with a task force that pushed Bobby out of the way on a major case, but later gave the green light for Bobby to take over the interviews on it (which led to the arrest of a serial killer) and also authorized the 15th to ignore the FBI and follow up a lead on a kidnapping case.
Captain Clifford Bass (Larry Joshua)—A veteran of the patrol division who had little experience with the detective division but was an all-around good boss. Took over from Haverill and quickly established himself as his polar opposite; when his initial decisions nearly led to a murderer escaping arrest and punishment, he acknowledged to Simone and Sipowicz that he had been in error, and thanked them for "bailing him out" by solving the case and effecting an arrest. It quickly became clear after that initial incident that he trusted cops, listened to good advice, and viewed Lt. Fancy as a superb leader. Bass was tough but firm, finding a compromise when Fancy and a bigoted cop faced off and later ordering harsh actions against an out-of-control Danny. In Season 8, it was learned his wife had mental problems and was attacking herself to get attention. Bass retired so he could help her, but not before he first helped Fancy get promoted to Captain and later arranged for Susan Dalto, a wildly unpopular new Lt., to be transferred out of the 15th, which enabled Lt. Rodriguez to take over.
Captain Haverill (James Handy)—A deeply hateful, imperious leader who didn't want Lt. Fancy in charge of the 15th's detectives. It was initially thought that Haverill wanted Fancy gone to promote one of his own loyalists (whom Andy derided as part of the "Chowder Society"), but it was later discovered that Haverill was a racist who hated African American police who were too smart and talented to be pushed aside, particularly Fancy. He tried unsuccessfully to get Fancy removed only to be thwarted by Andy, whom he also hated. To weaken Fancy's team, Haverill initiated an IAB witchhunt that caused Det. Kelly enormous grief. When Kelly responded to Haverill in an insubordinate manner but the probe turned up nothing that would have ruined his career, Haverill used his power to demote Kelly to a humiliating dispatch position. Kelly then resigned from the force. During a sting into a planned armored car heist, Haverill tried to use one of Fancy's old informants to hook the 15th on bogus information involving a Russian mafia boss. Fancy turned the tables on Haverill though and got his informant to record Haverill making incriminating statements (specifically one calling Fancy a "nigger") and following the successful bust played the tape for an aghast Haverill. He gave the ruined Captain two choices: retire immediately, or head to a civil trial where the tape would be Exhibit A. Haverill grudgingly accepted the retirement option and in Season 5, it was revealed he had become an FBI consultant and organized a plan that nearly cost Bobby, Andy and Fancy their jobs before they solved the case and removed that threat.
Chief of Detectives Duffy (James Martin Kelly)—Appears in Season 12. Following the shooting of Lt. Bale, Duffy orders Sipowicz off of uniformed sergeant's duty and back to the detective squad temporarily to take charge of the investigation. After the case is closed and Bale is unable to return to work, he offers to recommend Sipowicz as his replacement. Sipowicz overcomes his initial hesitation and takes Bale up on his offer. At the department social event which includes Medavoy's retirement, Duffy meets privately with Sipowicz and allows him to make the argument for why he should succeed Bale. Duffy appreciates Sipowicz's skills, so despite his initial misgivings, he agrees to give Sipowicz the command. In the show's final episode, Sipowicz disobeys Duffy's orders and keeps a murder investigation open because he's sure the man who confessed is innocent. Sipowicz is proved right, but Duffy still yells at him within earshot of the rest of the detectives, and threatens to fire him if he disobeys orders again. Bale hears the end of the exchange, and afterwards tells Sipowicz that he did a good job by taking a loud verbal reprimand without complaint in order to protect his detectives from the higher ups and achieve the correct result in the case, and that to succeed in the long term, he'll have get used to diplomatically handling his bosses.
Laura Michaels Kelly (Sherry Stringfield)—The ex-wife of Det. John Kelly in Season 1, they were amiable enough after their divorce to sleep together on several occasions, but finally decided that their pattern of sex and fighting needed to end permanently. Laura was a DA who was pressured by a sleazy supervisor to lie about a dying witness' final words, but she used a recording as leverage to get a transfer to the position where she worked with the 15th's detectives. She told Det. Kelly she had begun dating a doctor (played by Kyle Secor), and later that she felt she was being followed. She then got angry at her ex-husband for interviewing the doctor, and he told her to go ask someone else for help in her final episode, but then confronted the men who were stalking her and made it clear that if she got so much as a cold he would bring the wrath of God down on them.
Sylvia Costas
Leo Cohen (Michael B. Silver)—A sarcastic young ADA who quickly ran afoul with the 15th's cops for reasons ranging from snidely referring to secret love affairs (Bobby and Diane) to implying widespread brutality (Andy) and bad judgment (Lt. Fancy), Leo nevertheless showed he cared about the law and was able to sometimes work well with the 15th's top cops. He dated Jill for a while but ruined that relationship with his jealousy and its interference in her job. Leo later entered private practice and briefly represented Andy, Diane, and Greg over bogus corruption charges in Season 8, and returned to the DA's office in Season 11 to unsuccessfully prosecute a murder case.
Valerie Heywood—She became the full-time ADA for the 15th after Leo Cohen left in Season 8. While she was smart and tough, she alienated Andy with her rigid rule-book approach, and often showed judgmental tendencies that Sylvia Costas had generally avoided when dealing with cops. She was attracted to Det. Jones and they dated in Seasons 8 and 9; when she thought she was pregnant and later had a miscarriage, their suspicions and lack of personal chemistry sank the relationship. They resumed dating in Season 10 and Det. Jones helped her out when a man she'd put in jail got out and harassed her, later arranging for a lowlife friend of his to beat her up. After losing a slam-dunk case against a corrupt IAB Captain over Lt. Rodriguez's shooting, she appeared in fewer episodes and was written out of the show after Season 11. Played by Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon.
Lori Munson (Elizabeth Lackey)—ADA Munson became the full-time ADA in Season 12. She was initially furious at Det. Clark when his actions ruined a murder case, but she later forgave him when he'd cleaned up his act and helped salvage something from that case. They also began dating and were still doing so when the show ended. Her father was a very powerful and meddlesome businessman named Owen.
Donna Abandando – The first and foremost squad PAA, Donna initially appeared to be a bleached-blonde bimbo, but quickly won over the 15th with her skills and won over Det. Medavoy with her beauty and charm. They began dating and even lived together until Greg's jealousy ruined things in Season 2. Near the end of Season 3, Donna decided to take on a no-ceiling job at Apple Computers. Played by Gail O'Grady.
John Irvin – John appeared for the first time in Season 2, as a temp for Donna who was friends with Bobby Simone from their previous work at 1 Police Plaza, but Andy's homophobia initially led him to be rude to John. Over time, John and Andy became good friends, to the point of John babysitting for Andy's son Theo and Andy turning over his apartment to John when he moved in with Connie. When Sipowicz and McDowell got married, Irvin obtained minister's credentials from an online church so he could officiate. He was shot and nearly killed in Season 6 when trying to counsel Dolores Mayo's grieving father. He had a poor relationship with his bigoted dad that only healed when they made peace not long before John's dad died. Irvin and his sister received sizable inheritances, but he continued to work. Irvin's knowledge of art, music, antiques, and fashion sometimes enabled him to make contributions that helped detectives solve cases, as did his knowledge of psychology and interpersonal relationships. Played by Bill Brochtrup.
Geri Turner—One of two PAAs who joined the 15th in Season 4 after Donna and John left, but she annoyed Andy with her constant sexual innuendos and odd behavior. Lt. Fancy had her transferred upstairs to Anti-Crime. Andy did sympathize with her during a case where a meek man Geri had been having an S&M-heavy relationship with died of natural causes. Played by Debra Christofferson
Gina Colon—The other new PPA in the 15th in Season 4, Gina caught the eye of Det. Martinez and they began dating. She was beaten and slashed by a creep on one case, and James stayed by her side during the ordeal. She later got pregnant and married James before their son, James Martinez Jr., was born. Played by Lourdes Benedicto
Naomi Reynolds – A PAA with a pronounced Southern accent during Season 5. It was revealed she was actually an illegal immigrant from Australia who was forced to resign her job when the INS found out about her. She later revealed she was allowed to stay in the U.S. and continued to pursue her lifelong dream of being an American policewoman by working as a security guard. Played by Gabrielle Fitzpatrick
Dolores Mayo – The pretty young woman who took over after Naomi's departure, Dolores wanted to be a dancer and liked to smoke. However, in Season 6, she was revealed to have serious emotional issues, from working as a stripper to lashing out against her supervisors. She died of a drug overdose that turned out to be an intentional homicide, and her father admitted that he'd molested her when she was younger. Played by Lola Glaudini
Steve Richards—A low-rent snitch in Seasons 2 and 3, Steve blew a surveillance operation when offered a cut of the proceeds from a planned robbery. No one wanted to listen to him when he returned, and he slathered his information around a great deal of BS, but Steve gave enough good data to help save a kidnapped business exec and earn himself a hefty reward. Played by Paul Ben-Victor.
Vinnie Greco—Lt. Fancy's top snitch, whose info apparently led to the bust that earned the future Lt. his detective shield. Vinnie returned in Season 2 with info about an elaborate and legitimate robbery plan involving military-level hardware. He was roped into informing on Fancy for bigoted Cmdr. Haverill, but turned into Fancy's snitch again when his ruse was discovered, and got Haverill making vile statements on tape after the successful bust and forced him to retire. He returned later with info about an arson case, where he was not as useful and no one on the squad much liked to deal with him. Played by Joe Pantoliano.
J.B. Murphy—J.B. loved doo-wop music, giving data to Danny Sorensen, and drugs. While he was a top-level snitch at first, he spiraled back into his addictions in spite of Danny's desperate efforts to help, and died when he overdosed inside a building that was later burned down with his still-breathing body inside. Played by Jeff Cahill.
Julian Pisano—A sleazy, stupid, immediately hated guy whose initial claim to non-fame was his help of the man who murdered Danny when the body was buried. Julian later turned up with valid information for a crime he hadn't had the chance to commit himself. Andy and Clark later found out Julian's wife was trying to kill him and got him to control himself long enough for them to arrest her for attempted murder. Played by character actor Lenny Venito.
Ferdinand Hollie—A stick-up artist and drug addict dubbed by Detective Simone as his best informant ever. Hollie caught AIDS through his heroin addiction and would specialize in robbing various drug dealers without ever attacking citizens. He made Sipowicz and Lt. Fancy uncomfortable with his non-law-abiding activities but played a crucial role in bringing down the Barnes crew which was being investigated by a Federal Drug Task Force led by Sgt. Ray Kahlins. Kahlins would later give up Hollie's identity in an interrogation unapologetically for making Kahlins' task force look incompetent in a drug raid and Hollie then died at the hands of the Barnes crew. Hollie was regarded by Sipowicz as more stand-up than Sgt. Kahlins and Hollie's death caused Simone to viciously beat Sgt. Kahlins in front of his task force unit. Played by Giancarlo Esposito.
Holley was created by David Simon, later the producer of The Wire, and foreshadows Simon's more famous later creation, Omar Little, sharing Omar's high-risk occupation of robbing drug dealers, his faithfulness to his code of ethics, and his willingness to work with the police as an informant. Both were inspired by the same group of Baltimore street desperadoes that Simon knew from his crime reporting days, and Hollie's name references two of those figures, Ferdinand Harvin and Anthony Hollie.
Sgt. Jerry Martens (Scott Allan Campbell)—Originally showed up as a one-dimensional "Rat Squad" leader who gleefully ruined Det. Kelly's career, but later emerged as a fair investigator who refused to destroy Bobby's career when given the chance. Even Andy, who hated him for years, finally acknowledged that Martens was a good cop in a hated part of the department. His first name was not revealed until Season 12.
Captain Pat Fraker (Casey Siemaszko) —A sleazy Internal Affairs Captain who used his position to harass Lieutenant Tony Rodriguez. Fraker got stuck in Internal Affairs after a report from Rodriguez which contained no officer's names ended up exposing Fraker's corrupt partner from Narcotics; other cops assumed the "rat" had been Fraker, so IAB became the only unit where he could without being harassed. Fraker would later attempt to sabotage Rodriguez's career and that of the rest of the 15th until Sipowicz intervened and threatened to tell his wife about the affair he was having with a female detective. Fraker would then try to assassinate Rodriguez, but Rita Ortiz shot him down before he could fire a second (killing) shot and Fraker was left permanently disabled. However, he was acquitted of all charges after a defense by attorney James Sinclair, who had most notably clashed in the past with Detective Sipowicz. Fraker's acquittal led to Rodriguez first being passed up for promotion and later deciding to retire from the force and take a lucrative private security job. Fraker then left Internal Affairs and ended up working in a sleazy bar, where he had an angry confrontation with Andy when Andy tried to determine who was stalking and menacing him (which turned out to be Stan Hatcher, not Fraker).
Officer Janice Licalsi – Began sleeping with Det. Kelly in Season 1, when a mob boss told her to get close to Kelly (who had been shutting down his businesses) and kill him. Janice instead killed the mob boss and his driver, and later was blackmailed by the mob into doing some illegal work for them, which was authorized by her sleazy, ambitious boss. Janice was legally free when Kelly destroyed evidence of her guilt, but her own conscience led to confess to a priest and then turn herself in for the killings. She was acquitted of second-degree murder charges and convicted of manslaughter early in Season 2. Played by Amy Brenneman. Janice would have returned later if not for David Caruso's departure from the series.
Officer Roy Larson - A hot tempered, workout-obsessed uniformed cop who partners with Licalsi in the middle of Season 1. Licalsi rebuffs Larson's efforts to date her, for which he blames Kelly. His erratic behavior results in his supervisors directing him to undergo a drug test; he tests positive for steroids and methamphetamine, and is immediately fired. He blames Kelly for his firing, and instigates a fight with Kelly and Sipowicz in the main lobby of the precinct headquarters. Kelly punches Larson, knocks him down, and leaves him with a bloody lip and nose. After this altercation, Larson leaves and is not seen at the precinct again. Played by John Wesley Shipp.
Desk Sgt Vinnie Agostini – The One-Five Desk Sergeant. Generally got along well with the 15th's detectives, at one point furiously lambasting two corrupt plainclothes cops who had been robbing drug dealers before being arrested by Kelly and Sipowicz. Played by Vincent Guastaferro.
Insp. Anthony Lastarza – The sleazy, ambitious OCCB boss who forced Janice to work the mobsters and later clashed with Andy and Kelly over his treatment of a mob informant case. He rode his dubious successes out of the NYPD and into an off-screen job with the DEA. Played by Tom Towles.
Detective Mike Roberts – In Season 1, he was part of the detective squad but was clearly not performing effectively, and was disliked by Lt. Fancy. Roberts had a sexual relationship with a drug-addicted informant, who threatened to call his wife to reveal their affair. After an altercation with Mike, she committed suicide. The circumstances were suspicious, and the entire matter was enough for Fancy to force him to quit the job at a reduced pension. Roberts became a private investigator and second-rate "security consultant" whose work sometimes brought him back to the 15th Precinct, and usually made him look worse than ever. He finally tried to do a good deed in Season 6 when he nearly confessed to Sipowicz about a murder-for-hire plot he was being blackmailed into; Roberts did give PAA John Irvin a veiled warning about that plot, which came shortly before Roberts was murdered. A badly-written book of fictionalized detective stories Roberts penned gave clues to the blackmail plot and led to his killer being arrested. Played by Michael Harney.
Detective Sharon LaSalle - She had attended the police academy with John Kelly, and transferred into the 15th Precinct in Season 1 to work as a detective. Her husband Danny, also a police officer, was killed while trying to stop a robbery on her first day at the 15th. She was later offered a position as an investigator in the department's Equal Employment Opportunity office. After being assaulted by a suspect during an interview, she decided that the raise that came with promotion to Detective First Grade and the regular hours that enabled her to spend more time with her children made the EEO opportunity to good to pass up; she accepted, and was not seen again at the 15th Precinct. Played by Wendy Makkena.
Detective Art Stillwell—An overweight Detective seen in Season 1 as a part of the 15th's squad. Stillwell had a crippling gambling addiction that would often wipe out much of his paycheck and would play practical jokes that often left the officers of the one five unamused. After losing his entire pension and the rest of his money, Stillwell played a final practical joke that had Lt. Fancy send him to a mental hospital and out the 15th for good. Played by John Capodice.
Det. Nick Savino – A narcotics officer of great success, who accidentally arrested Andy Jr. in Season 1 (he looked like the much more handsome version of a drug dealer) and then helped free Andy Jr. without charges. Savino later helped Andy on a murder case involving a store Andy had worked at when he was a kid, and also with some murders at an apartment building Bobby inherited. Played by Steve Antin.
Officer Mike Shannon – A uniformed cop who was the main "man in blue" that the 15th's detectives tended to interact with. While he was generally a stand-up guy who helped the detectives when he could (he helped find Andy's assailant and saved his career, and turned in a corrupt fellow officer who had framed Clark Jr.), he sometimes clashed with the suits as part of the division in the 15th, mostly in cases where the detectives suspected that uniform cops had done something wrong—though on the show, those suspicions were correct 99% of the time. He was afraid that he would be forced off the Job after he cleared Clark Jr.'s name, but subsequent appearances showed he remained a well-regarded officer at the 15th. Played by James Luca McBride.
Officer Miller - In addition to Shannon, one of the uniformed officers most likely to be in charge of a crime scene when detectives arrived. Played by Billy Concha.
Josh Astrachan & N.D. "Hank" Harold — A black-and-white team of plainclothes Anti-Crime cops, they were mostly on hand to take care of babysitting suspects and witnesses, and to do jobs that were too disgusting for the detectives or uniforms to touch, such as monitoring a suspect who had swallowed balloons full of drugs and had begun pooping them out. Played by Ray LaTulipe and Henry Murph.
Officer Abby Sullivan — A uniformed officer who met and became friends with Greg Medavoy in Season 4 when the portly detective undertook a fitness regimen to shed excess pounds. Greg later asked her out, only to learn she was a lesbian, but they remained friends and Abby and her partner Kathy decided they wanted Greg to be a sperm donor so Abby could have a child. Greg was unsure about this, but eventually did make a donation and Abby did get pregnant. In Season 5, Kathy was murdered during a fake robbery that was set up by her bitter ex-lover, and Abby resolved to be a single mother, with Greg promising he would be there to help her if she needed him. Played by Paige Turco.
Lt. Joe Abner—A bitter African American lieutenant who was the previous commander of Detective Baldwin Jones. Abner held a grudge against Jones' boss lieutenant Fancy specifically over Fancy's refusal to get rid of Andy Sipowicz for his racist attitudes. Abner however felt chewed out by the NYPD and sent Jones to work with Fancy so that he would not have his career turn out like his. Abner would later retire and commit suicide, affecting Fancy and Jones both. Played by James Pickens Jr.
Sgt. Bill Dornan – A bitter African-American officer who didn't like Andy based on a racist remark he once heard and Andy's seeking to re-open a murder case he cleared. Dornan later got demoted by some of his many enemies, and later fell into heavy drinking and left his job, leading Fancy and Andy to try to help him and Dornan making an effort to stay sober in his final appearance for the Season 6 finale. Talking to Dornan made Andy realize that Andy's father was not a victim of violence but a bigot who was attacked in self-defense. Ironically enough, Dornan was in some ways viewed as a black version of Andy, possessing several of the same alcoholic traits that both blinded Sipowicz's father and nearly ended Sipowicz's career. Played by Richard Gant.
Officer Mary Franco – In Season 7, Danny met her on a murder case and they soon began sleeping together. Mary was nice but brittle, and Danny showed little interest in sharing details of his messed-up life with her, preferring to do so with Diane Russell (something Mary noticed). They broke up when Danny hit bottom over an informant's death, then got back together on rocky terms, before Danny finally did the right thing and broke up with her for good early in Season 8. Played by Sheeri Rappaport.
Officer Ed Laughlin — On the same case where Danny met Mary, they also met Ed, who was upset about turning in two other uniformed cops for beating a punk to death. Ed later interfered with a case Jill was working, taunting an abusive drunk until he ended up killing his wife and leaving his children parentless. In Season 9, Ed ran afoul of Clark Jr. by making advances on recently widowed Rita Ortiz, leading to a boxing challenge where Clark beat Laughlin despite Laughlin's low blows and other attempts to cheat. In Season 10, Andy and Clark found out Ed had been having sex with an underage auxiliary cop and did not help her on a stalking complaint which later led to her death. The detectives gave Laughlin a choice: retire immediately or face an IAB investigation. He resigned, and Clark Jr. later discussed the case with his father. Clark Sr. informed on Laughlin to IAB, and Clark Jr. tried to make things right by unsuccessfully trying to get IAB to reinstate Laughlin. Laughlin blamed Clark Jr. for his troubles, and responded by planting heroin in Clark's car, followed by an anonymous call that resulted in Clark's arrest. Shannon was aware of what Laughlin had done, and eventually decided to turn him in, which resulted in Laughlin's arrest, followed by Clark's release from jail and return to duty. Played by Anthony Mangano.
Det. Harry Denby – A sleazy Narcotics officer who was working on the drug dealers that Don Kirkendall was involved with, later faking Don's death and dealing with him. He was suspended from the force and began working at a courier company, where he put together a new drug ring and began an affair that ended with him killing the woman and her husband. When a sting in Brooklyn led to him killing two dealers and wounding an undercover DEA agent, Diane Russell stepped in and shot him in a suicide-by-cop to end his reign of terror. Played by Scott Cohen.
Sgt. Ray Kahlins – The head of an NYPD Federal Drug Task Force that worked with the one five investigating drug crews. An alcoholic loudmouth and liar regarded by Sipowicz as a hump with inept investigative skills, Kahlins would be more often concerned with raking in overtime pay than in making good cases and was held in low regard by both his crew and the one-five's detectives. He would clash with Sipowicz and Simone over his involvement in Vietnam and his exposure of an informant Ferdinand Holley to a drug crew being interrogated and would later appear at the request of Lt. Fancy in a case that involved Fancy's foster son Maceo. Played by Daniel von Bargen.
Desk Sgt Philip Angelotti
Det. John Clark Sr.—John Clark Jr.'s father. An average detective from a low crime precinct mutually despised by Sipowicz, who called him "Dutch Boy" in reference to a plaster marketing statue he once shot in the dark thinking it was a man with a gun. He threw his son out of the house when John Jr. decided to work at the 15th with Andy. He later got busted for sleeping with a prostitute and let his son take the rap until Andy got him to confess. After this, he began drinking heavily and became an IAB informant, which nearly ruined John's career at the 15th. His actions helped lead to the campaign by Officer Laughlin against his son, and John Jr. finally told his father to stop making bad decisions on his behalf and stop drinking so much. A depressed Clark Sr. later "ate his gun" and sent his son into a long depression. Played by Joe Spano.
Det. Stan Hatcher—Hatcher's uncle was the Chief of Personnel, and he was assigned to the 15th Precinct as a replacement for Connie McDowell in Season 11 when she went on maternity leave. Hatcher had killed his wife years previously, which had been attributed to the perpetrator in one of his cases trying to kill him, and gone unsolved. He emerged as a devious, violent, corrupt cop who harassed a former girlfriend, and got shot when he was mistaken for a burglar while stalking her. He used his connection to his uncle to get Sipowicz transferred to Morgue duty, and Sipowicz, Clark, and Detective Dorland from the Morgue worked together and determined that Hatcher had killed his wife. Even though they didn't have enough evidence to bring criminal charges, Sipowicz and Clark confronted Hatcher and told him to leave the 15th; Hatcher quit because his uncle decided to stop protecting him. In Season 12, he launched a harassment campaign to ruin Sipowicz; Sipowicz retaliated and threatened Hatcher's life, but Hatcher had actually set Sipowicz up and recorded the threats. The dispute ended when Bale reluctantly brokered a deal with Hatcher's uncle which kept Andy out of trouble and sent Stan to a private security job in Miami. Played by Scott William Winters.
Sgt. McNamara—A bigoted officer who had both gone to the academy and worked with Lt. Fancy. He was the supervisor of Fancy's brother Reggie, who was involved in a verbal altercation with McNamara that seemed to be racially motivated. Fancy mediated, which resulted in a brief respite, but McNamara later aided a Haitian gypsy cab driver to file a harassment complaint against Reggie. Fancy perceived that McNamara was using the groundless complaint to have Reggie fired; McNamara claimed it was departmental procedure to take complaints from minority citizens seriously even when minority officers were accused of police harassment. Fancy recognized the racism in McNamara's actions, and took action to save Reggie's job. Played by Danny Goldring.
Officer Reggie Fancy – Lt. Fancy's younger brother (who was not close to Arthur as evident by his failure to visit Arthur's first-born son until Arthur brought it up), who was a uniformed officer at a neighboring precinct. Reggie's willingness to complain about his supervisor's racism drew the ire of that supervisor, Sgt. McNamara. McNamara later tried to end Reggie's career by supporting a harassment complaint from a Haitian gypsy cab driver complaining that Reggie had shaken him down for money. Fancy's detectives teamed up to uncover the false story, after which Reggie seemed appreciative of his brother's help, while Fancy informed Reggie that none of the cops who saved his career were African American, teaching Reggie a serious lesson in trust. Played by Michael Jai White.
Officer Jack Hanlon — An old officer who had been on the force with John Kelly Sr. dating back to the department's dominance by Irish Americans. Hanlon was a corrupt racist who worked part-time as the superintendent of a rent-controlled building; the landlord paid him to brutalize tenants in an effort to make them move so that the landlord could acquire new tenants who would pay more. Martinez's brother lived in the building, and Martinez became aware of Hanlon's bad acts. Hanlon disgusted Martinez, Sipowicz, and John Kelly Jr.; because they thought that "wearing a wire" and turning in another cop might get Martinez a reputation as a "snitch" and transferred to IAB, Kelly worked to get Hanlon to confess to him on tape, knowing that Kelly was established enough that his reputation wouldn't suffer. Martinez and Kelly were able to turn Hanlon in for the murders of two tenants, which were caused when Hanlon created incidents that initially appeared to be accidents. Played by Mitchell Ryan.
Det. Walker—A tired, likely-alcoholic officer who appeared in the Season 1 episode "True Confessions", when Andy Sipowicz was restored by Lt. Fancy to active duty and joined him and Det. Kelly in investigating a double-murder at a liquor store. Walker did not want Andy on the case, ignored his work, and refused to listen to his concerns that they'd arrested the wrong man. When an anonymous tip about the robbery was phoned in from a local bar, Walker snidely said Andy wanted to check it out so he could drink rather than investigate, but Andy's instincts paid off when the lead ended up nabbing the man who really committed the crimes. Walker was still hostile towards Andy and asked how he was going to get screwed, but after Andy said the case was made and no one including himself would care about the wrong initial arrest, he finally apologized to Andy, and revealed that he wished he could find a way to sobriety like Andy did. Walker is mentioned once more in Season 1, as a character says the portly detective isn't able to play the 15th's Santa Claus because he's out with medical problems. Played by Robert Breuler.
Officer Syzmanski — A bigoted uniformed officer who stops Lt. Fancy and his wife for driving in an all-White neighborhood of Bayside, Queens. Art figured that Syzmanski had little interaction with Blacks working in Bayside (aside from the ones he pulled over according to Art) and then called in a favor to send Syzmanski to work in an all-Black precinct located in either Brooklyn North or Harlem as a means of teaching him to learn which Black citizens to treat with respect. Syzmanski was then transferred to the all-Black neighborhood Bedford-Stuyvesant but later was transferred to the 15th when Captain Bass said it was a bad idea to put a cop who disliked black people in a problematic neighborhood like Bed-Stuy. Syzmanski was later falsely accused of robbing a drug dealer and was involved in shooting an undercover Black officer, both cases where Fancy and he clashed but Syzmanski was later cleared. In Season 7, his brother was killed accidentally and another brother later killed a man in a drunken rage. Played by Christopher Stanley.
Officer John McCaslin – The rookie partner of Officer Syzmanski who stopped Lt. Fancy in Queens. Seeing that McCaslin was a rookie that had merely backed Syzmanski in the traffic stop, Fancy spared him in his payback for the humiliation that he and his wife endured.
Officer Lucas – A patrol officer at the one five.
Detective Vince Gotelli - A night shift detective and union delegate. Near the end of season 4, he stole and crashed an unattended city bus. It was revealed that he was drunk and depressed over health problems which would force him to retire, and he was only two months away from reaching 30 years of service and qualifying for a higher pension. Fancy met with the bus driver's boss and they agreed to keep both Gotelli and the bus driver out of trouble. Fancy then informed Gotelli that he needed to retire immediately with a pension for medical disability. Gotelli later had heart surgery and made a full recovery, after which he returned to work as an investigator for an insurance company. Played by Carmine Caridi.
Family, friends, and love interests
Andy Sipowicz Jr. – Andy's son with Katie. Hated his father due to Andy being a drunken, abusive, non-parenting figure in his life, but began to respect his dad when he realized Andy Sr. was staying sober and was a great cop. Andy Jr. joined the Air Force, later getting an honorable discharge because of a torn rotator cuff, and then joined the Hackensack (New Jersey) police department. His father taught him lessons about being a policeman. Andy Jr. was killed when he stopped a robber from raping a woman and the robber's partner shot him, sending his father into a tailspin that nearly destroyed his life. Andy Jr. would appear in dreams and visions to talk with his dad, often contentiously but always with father and son saying they loved each other. Played by Michael DeLuise.
Lillian Fancy – Art's wife, who is happy and outgoing in comparison to her private and serious husband. She scared Art when she got pregnant because her diabetes nearly killed her during the pregnancy of their second daughter, but she healthily delivered a perfect baby boy. Worked for a natural-foods company that Art very reluctantly told his detectives about, and told him he should lighten up after Art became upset at the notion that he was forcing his subordinates to buy the items (they actually liked them and were happy to make purchases). Heard a lot about Andy over the years and decided Art had little reason to side with him over his past behavior. Played by Tamara Tunie.
Robin Wirkus – The longtime girlfriend of Det. Kelly's shadowy, rich friend Jimmy Wexler, whom she married not long before he died because Jimmy wanted to ensure she'd inherit his fortune. Slept with Det. Kelly in the Season 1 finale and they began dating between the seasons, but broke up with him in the Season 2 premiere when she realized he was in love with Janice Licalsi. Played by Debrah Farentino.
Benita Alden – A reporter whom Bobby began dating in Season 2, but after she used private information from him in a story that led to a cop committing suicide, Bobby broke things off with her. Played by Melina Kanakaredes.
Marie Medavoy – Greg's unpleasant wife, whom he left in Season 1 when he learned she was cheating on him. Marie and Greg would reconcile a few times but finally got divorced in Season 4. Marie apparently hated him so much that she initially refused to attend their daughter's wedding if Greg was there, but later she changed her mind and the wedding went ahead with Greg there (off-screen). Played by Deborah Taylor.
Dr. Mondzac – A physician at Bellevue who treated James Martinez when he was shot and covered up Andy's identity when a beating case could have led to Andy getting fired from the job. He later figured out that Bobby's mentor was suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. When Andy was going through his prostate cancer, Doc Mondzac gave him encouragement and helped Andy through the crisis. Played by Titus Welliver
Theo Sipowicz – Andy and Sylvia's beloved young son. Theo looked a lot like his dad and was a sweetheart who did sometimes show the kind of stubbornness that befitted a Sipowicz. He adjusted remarkably well when Sylvia was killed and later became attached to Connie, who ended up marrying Andy and forming a new family with him and Theo and her adopted daughter Michelle. Played by Austin Majors.
Katie Sipowicz – Andy's ex-wife, who initially hated him (like Andy Jr.) but later saw he was a new, different and good person (like Andy Jr.). Andy found out she had become an alcoholic after her son died and helped her find support through Alcoholics Anonymous. Katie moved in with him for a while to help take care of Theo after Sylvia died, but her hopes they would reunite romantically didn't pan out. Andy later asked her to marry him and she said yes; it was quickly apparent that Andy didn't really want to marry her, so she packed up and left after assuring Andy that she and he would always be cool with each other. Played by Deborah Monk.
Henry Coffield – Got angry when Bobby inherited his late mom's apartment building, because he'd counted on selling it to pay off his gambling debts. The woman who lived in his old apartment was killed by drug dealers whom Henry had planned to do a big score with, but backed out when he didn't get the building. Bobby went from hating him to sort of tolerating him to later clearing him when an elderly tenant was killed and it looked at first like Henry had done it (it was a relative who wanted her money). When Bobby died, he left the building and his pigeons to Henry, and Henry later stopped to talk with Diane, revealing that Bobby had also asked him to check in on Diane after his death to make sure she was OK. Played by Willie Garson.
Dr. Victor Carreras – The young ER doctor who took care of Bobby during his catastrophic heart failure crisis in Season 6. Bobby and Diane liked and trusted him, especially when compared to an arrogant but senior-level surgeon who performed Bobby's transplant. Dr. Carreras told Diane that Bobby would not survive his post-operative infections and rejection of his new heart; she tearfully said she did not want her husband to suffer before he died. In Season 8, Diane ran into Dr. Carreras again and they began dating—which angered Danny Sorensen and made him jealous. Played by David Barreras.
Cynthia Bunin – Eddie Gibson's niece, whom Eddie dragged Andy into a blind date with that actually sort of went OK, considering what Andy is like around strangers. They ran into each other again in Season 8 and began happily dating for a while, until Cynthia's insecurities and Eddie's meddling led Andy to call things off. Cynthia returned in Season 9 and Andy was afraid she wanted to date again, and was relieved when Cynthia only wanted Andy to help Eddie confront and get treatment for his prostate cancer (which Andy did, and Eddie did get treated and recovered fully). Played by Juliana Donald.
Don Harrison – Rita Ortiz's ADA husband, who quickly emerged as controlling and possibly violent. Rita found out he was cheating on her with another ADA, and she threw him out of their apartment and filed for divorce. Don insisted Rita had also cheated on him, which was untrue, and made sure to contest the divorce fully. Don was killed when he resumed his affair and the ADA's husband shot her, murdered Don and then committed suicide. Played by Stan Cahill.
Michael Woodruff (Andre Kinney)– A young African-American whose mother was murdered in Season 11. Baldwin was sure Michael knew his worthless father Craig (Cyrus Farmer) had committed the crime, but Michael refused to talk about it and Baldwin served as Michael's mentor. Andy finally gave Michael a talking-to that led him to turn on his dad and get him arrested. Michael became Baldwin's foster charge while Craig was tried and acquitted for the crime, and later stayed with him when Craig was finally removed from the planet.
Brigid Scofield – Greg Medavoy was smitten by this lovely real-estate agent when he helped bust a con man who'd swindled her. They began dating and Brigid fell for Greg's goofy charm and honesty. Near the series' end, Greg retired from the job to begin a new career working alongside Brigid in her office. Played by Mary Page Keller.
James Sinclair, Esq.—A brilliant but very sleazy attorney who could always be counted on to represent the very worst of the bad guys that the 15th's cops were able to arrest for heinous crimes. The only exception to this rule came in Season 2 when he won a lesser manslaughter conviction against Office Licalsi. He got under Andy's skin in a way few other adversaries even came close to doing. Sinclair appeared for a last time defending crooked IAB Captain Pat Fraker and successfully getting him acquitted for the murder attempt against Lt. Tony Rodriguez. Played by Daniel Benzali.
Alphonse Giardella—A gross mobster with a bad toupee, who hated Andy and was hated by him in turn. Set up Andy with a prostitute after Andy humiliated him, and shot the detective several times. He was later arrested for the crime but became a state's witness to save his skin, only to get assassinated by a mob hitman. Played by Robert Costanzo.
Kwasi Oloshula—Formerly known as Kenny Parker, Kwasi was an outspoken community activist in the housing projects located in the 15th precinct. Kwasi organized a basketball game in memory of a young boy who died in police custody only to have the game be taken over by local drug lords who would start a gun fight at the game. Kwasi was intensely distrustful of the NYPD and would often get belligerent to the cops at the 1-5 with or without provocation (with the exception of Lt. Fancy, whom he had a cold but respectful relationship with) due to past racial problems he endured with police. Kwasi provoked Sipowicz into using the word "nigger" causing further conflict between Fancy and Sipowicz during a homicide investigation. Kwasi was found murdered later on with Sipowicz solving the case and apologizing to Kwasi's ex-wife and daughter for his past language against him. Played by Tom Wright.
Jimmy Liery—A thug with IRA connections whom Det. Russell was asked to resume an undercover operation with in Season 4. Jimmy knew Diane as "Mouse" and distinguished himself through anti-Semitic violence, talking about being molested by nuns, and slipping Diane a roofie to undisclosed results. Bobby got angry enough to barge in on the operation and beat up and arrest Jimmy, and later he and Andy spread false information that led to Jimmy being murdered by his partner in arms-smuggling. Played by Christopher Meloni.
Malcolm Cullinan—A very rich man who appeared in Season 6, Cullinan hired PAA Dolores Mayo as a prostitute, watched as she died of a heroin overdose and later buried her body in New Jersey. PAA John Irvin punched Cullinan in the face when he saw this on tape, and it later emerged that Cullinan deliberately gave prostitutes high-grade drugs so he could watch them die, and also that he tried to hire sleazy ex-cop Mike Roberts to kill Irvin, only to arrange for Roberts' death when Mike reached out to try to turn Cullinan in. After his actions indirectly led to the death of Sylvia Costas, Cullinan broke down and finally confessed when a nearly-silent Andy told him "Why don't you just cut it out?" and said he should confess so "You don't have to do this anymore". Played by Todd Waring.
Don Kirkendall—Jill's unbelievably scummy ex-husband and father of her two boys, Don returned to Jill's life in Season 7. She claimed to believe that he was legitimately working, but quickly learned he was part of a major drug-trafficking ring. However, Jill's inability to turn him in or let him get arrested nearly ended her career before Don was apparently killed by the drug cartel. It later emerged that he and Det. Denby faked the death and began their own dealing, and Jill's career did get destroyed in the aftermath of her hiding this information (Don had kidnapped one of her sons for leverage). Diane, Andy, and the others did arrest Don for kidnapping and he was murdered by his former narcotics partners while in Rikers. Played by Erich Anderson.
Craig Woodruff (Marcus Farmer)—An ex-con who was suspected of murdering his ex-wife. The only witness in the case was his son Michael, a good kid whom Baldwin Jones took under his wing, to Craig's anger. Craig later assaulted Michael's aunt, but a lecture from Andy to Michael provided enough evidence to arrest Craig. After he was acquitted on the charges, he had a confrontation with Baldwin that led to a fistfight, but he then made himself scarce. In the final season, Craig was shot to death, and both the married woman he'd been having an affair with and her husband told the police they killed him, with the case remaining unresolved.
