New York City Police Department Organized Crime Control Bureau

Last updated
Organized Crime Control Bureau
ActiveNovember 19, 1971 - March 2016 [1] [2]
Country United States
Agency New York Police Department
AbbreviationOCCB
Structure
Officers1,600
Divisions
  • Narcotics Division
  • Auto Crime Division
  • Gang Division
  • Firearms Division
  • Investigative Support Division
  • Organized Crime Investigations Division

The Organized Crime Control Bureau (OCCB) was one of the ten bureaus that formed the New York Police Department. The Bureau was charged with the investigation and prevention of organized crime within New York City. The OCCB was disbanded in March 2016 with all investigative entities moved to the Chief of Detectives' office. [2] The reason for this, was the NYPD launching a major reshuffle of its investigative forces, consolidating several of them in an effort to tackle the city's biggest crime problem—violence by gangs and youth crews.

Contents

The Organized Crime Control Bureau was headed by Bureau Chief Thomas P. Purtell when it was disbanded. [3]

History

Formed after the Knapp Commission investigations into police corruption, all investigations within the bureau were conducted by specially structured teams, in an effort to reduce the chance of corruption. [1]

Following the 2008 Mumbai attacks, officers from the OCCB were trained in the use of Ruger Mini-14s to provide support to the Emergency Service Unit forming the Critical Incident Response Capacity (CIRC) in case of a similar situation arising in New York City. [4]

Organization

Overview

The Organized Crime Control Bureau had numerous units and sub-units that investigate matters such as organized auto larceny rings, unlawful firearms, and prostitution. It was involved in using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to search and destroy organized criminal activities and seize property and vehicles. The OCCB utilized undercover police officers to infiltrate various criminal organizations and had been effective against the Italian Mafia, "the Westies" of the Irish Mob, Chinese Triads, and Russian Bratvas organized criminal elements. The OCCB's Joint Organized Crime Task Force worked in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's New York Field Division (the largest FBI office in the US).

See also

Related Research Articles

New York City Police Department Municipal police force in the United States

The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, is the primary law enforcement agency within the City of New York, United States. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest and one of the oldest police departments in the United States. The NYPD headquarters is at 1 Police Plaza, located on Park Row in Lower Manhattan near City Hall. The NYPD's regulations are compiled in title 38 of the New York City Rules. The NYC Transit Police and NYC Housing Authority Police Department were fully integrated into the NYPD in 1995. Dedicated units of the NYPD include the Emergency Service Unit, K9, harbor patrol, air support, bomb squad, counter-terrorism, criminal intelligence, anti-organized crime, narcotics, public transportation, and public housing units.

Genovese crime family Italian-American organized crime group

The Genovese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and New Jersey as part of the American Mafia. They have generally maintained a varying degree of influence over many of the smaller mob families outside New York, including ties with the Philadelphia, Patriarca, and Buffalo crime families.

A Special Victims Unit (SVU) is a specialized division within some police departments. The detectives in this division typically investigate crimes involving sexual assault or victims of non-sexual crimes who require specialist handling such as the very young, the very elderly, or the disabled.

The NYPD Transportation Bureau is one of the ten bureaus that comprise the New York City Police Department and is currently headed by Bureau Chief Kim Royster

New York City Police Department Highway Patrol Highway Patrol in New York City

The Highway Patrol are specialized units part of the Highway District with the Transportation Bureau of the New York City Police Department. The Highway Patrol is primarily responsible for patrolling and maintaining traffic safety on limited-access highways within New York City. The Highway Patrol's other duties and roles include accident investigations, advanced driver and radar training for NYPD officers, field sobriety testing, dignitary and parade escorts, hazardous material and truck traffic enforcement, anti-drag racing programs, and anti-terrorist checkpoints at key bridges and intersections in the city.

The New York City Fire Department in the United States, like most fire departments around the world, is organized in a paramilitary fashion. Its organizational structure includes regional commands for various geographic areas within its jurisdiction, operational commands for units of different functions, and administrative units and offices for various administrative functions.

Crime rates in New York City spiked in the 1980s and early 1990s as the crack epidemic surged, and then dropped from 1991 to 2018, giving New York City one of the lowest crime rates of major cities in the United States.

The New York City Police Department's Medal for Valor is the department's third highest medal. It is conferred upon police officers for acts of outstanding personal bravery intelligently performed in the line of duty at imminent personal hazard to life under circumstances evincing a disregard of personal consequences.

Michele "Big Mike" Miranda was a longtime member and eventual consigliere of the Genovese crime family and one of the most powerful New York gangsters in the 1950s and 1960s.

The East Harlem Purple Gang was a gang or organized crime group consisting of Italian-American hit-men and heroin dealers who were semi-independent from the Italian-American Mafia and, according to federal prosecutors, dominated heroin distribution in East Harlem, Italian Harlem, and the Bronx during the 1970s and early 1980s in New York City. Though mostly independent of the Italian-American Mafia and not an official Mafia crew, the gang was originally affiliated with and worked with the Lucchese crime family and later with the Bonanno crime family and Genovese crime family. It developed its "closest ties" with the Genovese family, and its remnants or former members are now part of the Genovese family's 116th Street Crew.

New York City Housing Authority Police Department Law enforcement agency in New York City that existed from 1952 to 1995

The New York City Housing Authority Police Department was a law enforcement agency in New York City that existed from 1952 to 1995, which was then merged into the NYPD. The roots of this organization go back to 1934 and the creation of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). New York City Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia authorized the hiring of security guards to patrol the city's public housing buildings. These guards eventually were trained and became the first officers of the Housing Police, which was officially created in 1952. The Housing Police, along with the New York City Transit Police, was merged into the New York City Police Department in 1995 by New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and continues today as the Housing Bureau.

Lucchese crime family One of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, US

The Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the American Mafia.

The Emergency Service Unit(ESU) is part of the Special Operations Bureau of the New York City Police Department. The unit provides specialized support and advanced equipment to other NYPD units. Members of ESU are cross-trained in multiple disciplines for police, first aid, and rescue work.

Organization of the New York City Police Department

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is structured into numerous bureaus and units. As a whole, the NYPD is headed by the Police Commissioner, a civilian administrator appointed by the Mayor, with the senior sworn uniformed officer of the service titled "Chief of Department". The Police Commissioner appoints a number of Deputy and Assistant Commissioners. The Department is divided into twenty bureaus, six of which are enforcement bureaus. Each enforcement bureau is further sub-divided into sections, divisions, and units, and into patrol boroughs, precincts, and detective squads. Each Bureau is commanded by a Bureau Chief. There are also a number of specialized units that are not part of any of the Bureaus and report to the Chief of the Department.

New York City Police Department corruption and misconduct Overview of the misconduct and corruption have occurred in the history of the New York City Police Department

New York City Police Department corruption and misconduct, and allegations of misconduct and corruption, have occurred in the history of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in numerous instances. Over 12,000 cases have resulted in lawsuit settlements totaling over $400 million during a five-year period ending in 2014. In 2019, taxpayers funded $68,688,423 as the cost of misconduct lawsuits, a 76 percent increase over the previous year, including about 10 million paid out to two exonerated individuals who had been falsely convicted and imprisoned.

New York City Police Department Detective Bureau

The Detective Bureau is one of 20 bureaus that constitute the New York City Police Department and is headed by the three star Chief of Detectives. The Detective Squad was formed in 1857 with the Detective Bureau later formed in 1882.

Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York

The Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York is a city-wide position appointed by the five county district attorneys of New York City. The office is responsible for the prosecution of felony violations of narcotics laws within New York City. The current holder of the office is Bridget G. Brennan.

New York City Police Department Intelligence Bureau Police department division

The New York City Police Department Intelligence Bureau is a division of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) which claims responsibility for the detection and disruption of criminal and terrorist activity through the use of intelligence-led policing. There is limited oversight over the Intelligence Bureau, and it conducts work in secrecy without the city council being informed of operations.

References

  1. 1 2 "Organized Crime Control Bureau". NYPD. Archived from the original on 14 August 2003.
  2. 1 2 Moore, Tina (9 February 2016). "NYPD shakes up Mafia investigation unit". New York Post. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  3. "Administration". NYPD. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  4. O'Shaughnessy, Patrice (2009-02-15). "NYPD learns lessons from Mumbai terrorist attack that killed 174". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  5. "Narcotics Division". NYPD. Archived from the original on 14 August 2003.
  6. "Vice Enforcement Division". NYPD. Archived from the original on 13 August 2003.
  7. "Auto Crime Division". NYPD. Archived from the original on 14 August 2003.
  8. "Organized Crime Investigation Division". NYPD. Archived from the original on 13 August 2003.