New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch have announced the establishment of the New York City Police Department’s Domestic Violence Unit (DVU), described as the largest investigative unit of its kind in the United States. The initiative, introduced during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, aims to strengthen support for survivors, improve officer training, and expedite domestic violence investigations.
The new unit will deploy about 450 specially trained investigators who will handle domestic violence cases from start to finish. These officers, reassigned from the Patrol Services and Housing bureaus to the Detective Bureau, will operate across all five boroughs. Officials emphasized that the move is designed to streamline casework, reduce duplication, and provide consistent, trauma-informed support to survivors.
“Public safety is not limited to our streets and subways, it extends to our homes, too,” Mayor Adams explained. “With the creation of the NYPD’s Domestic Violence Unit, we are going to make survivors feel safer in their homes.” Adams added that the new structure ensures “more resources to help victims and more cops to bring abusers to justice.”
Commissioner Tisch described the new unit as a fundamental shift in how the department handles domestic violence. “Domestic violence is as devastating as it is pervasive,” she stated. “These complex cases require specialized training, skills, and investigators who will approach them with the care and compassion they demand.”
The DVU’s rollout follows consultations with domestic violence survivors, advocacy organizations, and local law enforcement agencies. Officers in the unit will undergo expanded training, including a mandatory two-day in-person program focusing on survivor interaction, investigative techniques, and trauma-informed practices.
New leadership positions — including domestic violence counsels and directors of prevention and intervention — will oversee case coordination, officer education, and partnerships with prosecutors. Additionally, new misdemeanor investigation teams will focus on locating and apprehending suspects in domestic violence cases.
Deputy Chief John Corbisiero, a 40-year NYPD veteran, will lead the unit under the Chief of Detectives’ office. The department and partner organizations, including Safe Horizon and Sanctuary for Families, commended the initiative as a step toward building stronger relationships between law enforcement and survivors, with a focus on accountability and prevention.
