Abbreviation DHSPD | Formed 1993 | |
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Common name New York City Homeless Services Police Motto Protecting With Compassion Legal personality Governmental: Government agency Operations jurisdiction* City of New York in the state of New York, USA | ||
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.
Contents
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 was started in 1997 with approximately 65 peace officers assigned to various DHS facilities. By 2002, the DHS Police had over 270 special 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 the Department of Homeless Services was formed, 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 special officers in city run shelters, DHS started placing special officers in other shelters it operated.
Ranks
DHS special officers begin service and training with the rank of Cadet. After completing peace officer training course and successfully completing various Academic, Physical tests, special officers graduate the DHS Entry Level Peace Officer academy at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and are sworn into the rank of Special Officer.
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 DHS special Officer 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. DHS special officer are now under Control and string directive from the New York City police department.
Power and authority
NYC Department of Homeless Services (Special Officers) are NYS peace officers under New York State Criminal Procedure law, chapter subdivision 27, §2.10 Sub 40 which gives them limited powers to make warrantless arrests, issue criminal court summonses, and 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.
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 and sergeants and above carry pepper spray. Currently, they are equipped with an expandable baton, handcuffs, flashlight, reflective, bullet resistant vest, personal handheld metal detectors and a radio that is directly linked to the Dispatcher and other officers.
Select special officers receive additional training and equipment and are placed in specialty units.
Union representing all Special Officers
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.