The NYPD is assigning hundreds of officers to a brand new unit focused solely on domestic violence cases and helping to protect victims, Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced Thursday.
The Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) will be the largest of its kind in the nation, Adams and Tisch say, with 450 cops tasked with investigating perpetrators of abuse as well as aiding survivors and ensuring they receive resources while protecting their interests. It is one of the largest organizational changes within the department in the last three decades, as Tisch pointed out.
“For the first time in more than 30 years, the NYPD is making fundamental changes to how we respond to, investigate, and follow-through on domestic violence cases,” Tisch said during an Oct. 16 press conference at City Hall. “Domestic violence is as devastating as it is pervasive, and these complex cases require specialized training, skills, and investigators who will approach them with the care and compassion they demand.”
The top cop said the unit’s approach will be “a survivor-centric [and] trauma-informed,” with a clear focus “on survivor safety, taking violent predators out of our communities, and preventing the next incident before it’s too late.”
The announcement comes during the national observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. Law enforcement sources said that domestic violence cases have increased across America since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020; the NYPD reports that nearly 40% of all felony assaults in the Big Apple stem from domestic violence incidents.
Adams noted that women of color are 2.4 times more likely to be victims of domestic violence, adding that this is not a mere statistic: “They are real people.”
The DVU will be led by Deputy Chief John Corbisiero.
Why the NYPD formed the Domestic Violence Unit now
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday the creation of a new NYPD unit dedicated entirely to investigating domestic violence.Photo by Dean Moses
In response to what police themselves have dubbed a growing crisis, the 450 officers joining the unit will be reassigned from the Patrol Services Bureau and Housing Bureau to the Detective Bureau, where they will lead domestic violence investigations.
Before the DVU was created, police officials said, domestic violence cases were often individually assigned to cops working out of the NYPD housing stations and local police precincts, often resulting in duplicated work — with multiple officers re-interviewing survivors repeatedly, and having them relive the trauma.
The DVU’s creation enables the NYPD to streamline the process, allowing members to focus more on domestic incidents and ensure they have the capacity to work with survivors throughout the challenging investigation and recovery processes.
“Why now? Public safety is a continuous evolution of protection, and the worst thing you could do is remain stagnant when you identify what changes could take place. And hats off to the police commissioner for seeing that and instituting new methodologies to address the issue of violence in our households,” Mayor Adams said. “This new investigative unit will handle the entire domestic violence process for victims, which means more resources to help victims and more cops to bring abusers to justice. New Yorkers can rest assured knowing the full force of the law is coming after those who perpetrate these crimes.”
The NYPD states that officers assigned to the DVU will also undergo a mandatory two-day training supervised by domestic violence organizations. Additionally, law enforcement will be working with all five district attorneys to prosecute perpetrators.
“This is just common sense, and it is long overdue,” Commissioner Tisch added.
The NYPD states that cops assigned to the DVU will also undergo a mandatory two-day training supervised by domestic violence organizations. Additionally, law enforcement will be working with all five district attorneys to prosecute perpetrators.Photo by Dean Moses
“As one of the most common crimes in New York and in the nation, intimate-partner and domestic violence demands innovative, comprehensive solutions,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said. “Centralizing domestic violence arrests and investigations and supporting the development of expert personnel will help keep survivors’ safe and ensure more offenders are held accountable.”
The NYPD will also establish Domestic Violence Misdemeanor Investigation Card (“I-Card”) Teams — comprised of eight sergeants and 40 detectives and police officers. These teams will be tasked with tracking down and apprehending suspects wanted for domestic violence incidents.
The fifth US destruction of a boat between Venezuela and Trinidad has taken the life of two Trinidadians, with relatives disputing American accounts that it was fetching cocaine for onward shipment to the US mainland.
Local media on Thursday reported that Trinidadian national Chad “Charpo” Joseph, 26, and a second local, identified only as Samaroo, were among the six killed when US warships opened fire on a vessel sailing off the Venezuelan coast on Wednesday. The White House alleged that the boat had been fetching cocaine bales as its cargo, an accusation that neighbors and relatives dispute, contending that Joseph in particular is a known fisherman. Joseph is from Las Cuevas, a seaside village on Trinidad’s west coast, looking into the Gulf of Paria separating the two nations.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s 80th session on Sept. 26, 2025. UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Their deaths came weeks after Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar had urged the US to “kill them all violently,” seemingly unaware that some of her nationals who make a living off waters in the area between Trinidad and Venezuela or in the Atlantic might one day fall victim to US military plans in the South Caribbean. Officials are yet to react to the latest developments.
The Guardian newspaper quoted Lenore Burnley, Joseph’s mom, as saying that the second of her six children was no drug dealer and that he was trying to return home from Venezuela. The rival Trinidad Express said Joseph had been in Colombia and was transiting Venezuela when the boat was blown out of the water by the US military.
“I leave everything in God’s hands. He knows, he sees, and I ‘does’ say he does give you what you can bear. He wouldn’t give you what you cannot bear. So, I leave everything to God. I find it wrong because it has people who will be innocent, and they will still do and say otherwise. So, I can’t justify it to other people, but it’s not right. The sea law is they are supposed to stop the boat and intercept it, not blow it up like that.”
Grandma, Christine Clement, said she would prefer if he remained in Venezuela because of the dangers of being on the high seas. “The first time he was coming up, they shot up the boat, and he ended up surviving. Some people take care of him. Two days ago, I asked his mother when he was coming, and she said something had happened to the boat, and he couldn’t come back again and had to turn back, she told the local publication.
There have been reports about local fishermen staying away from the water for fear of being mistaken for an alleged narcotic smuggling boat.
The Nets are embracing Brooklyn pride this fall, kicking off the 2025–26 NBA season with events and experiences that celebrate the borough’s culture, creativity, and community. From the return of a fan-favorite uniform to local pop-ups that bring fans closer to the team, the Nets are making it clear that this season is all about Brooklyn.
Leading up to opening night on Oct. 24, the Nets are connecting with fans and local businesses through two free community events.
On Oct. 21, the team is partnering with Electric Lotus Tattoo, a Brooklyn shop that’s been around since 1993, to host a flash day where fans can get a free Brooklyn Nets tattoo. Then, on Oct. 23, the Nets will team up with Levels Barbershop in Bed-Stuy — where Notorious B.I.G. used to get his haircuts — to give free lineups or fades to anyone who shows up wearing Nets gear.
On Oct. 23, Levels Up barbershop in Bed-Stuy will give free lineups and fades to anyone in Brooklyn Nets merch. Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Nets
On opening night, the Nets will host a Plaza Party outside Barclays Center from 1–4 p.m, featuring basketball shooting games, giveaways, and a live DJ. During the event, fans can also visit the nearby Brooklyn Basketball Training Center, home to the Nets and New York Liberty’s youth basketball program, for guided tours and free Shoot 360 session sign-ups.
The Brooklyn Basketball Training Center is the only youth facility in the tri-state area with Shoot 360’s immersive, data-driven training technology.
But the team’s commitment to its home borough will go past opening night.
On opening night, visitors will be able to visit the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center and test out Shoot 360. Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Nets
As part of the NBA’s City Edition Remix, the Nets are bringing back their iconic Brooklyn Camo City Edition uniform, a design inspired by The Notorious B.I.G. First introduced in 2018, the black uniform with its colorful “Brooklyn Camo” trim quickly became a fan favorite, selling out soon after it dropped. The design pays tribute to Biggie’s legacy and Brooklyn’s music, art and culture.
This season, the uniform’s return will be paired with a Biggie-themed court and a series of “Biggie Nights.”
The team is also bringing back their beloved Biggie-inspired City Edition uniforms. Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Nets
The first Biggie Night tips off Tuesday, Nov. 11, when the Nets host the Toronto Raptors at Barclays Center. The evening will include a Biggie bobblehead giveaway and special halftime performances developed with the Estate. Future Biggie Nights throughout the season will feature themed contests, playlists, and appearances highlighting the late hip-hop legend’s impact on Brooklyn and beyond.
With their season opener just days away, the Nets are embracing what makes Brooklyn special. The people, its creativity, and its culture. From tattoos to haircuts to its jerseys, the team is showing that being part of the Nets family means being part of Brooklyn itself.
