The NYPD yesterday created a new citywide Special Victims Division to coordinate investigative efforts in the five boroughs.
The new division, established within the department’s Detective Bureau, will bring together the various crime-victims squads around the city and share information. It will report directly to the NYPD’s Chief of Detectives.
Cops said the new umbrella system would ensure that intelligence is shared by divisions that once operated independently, making it easier to identify trends and patterns.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said last month he was considering restructuring the Special Victims unit in an attempt to reverse an increase in the number of reported rapes. Nearly 2,000 rapes were reported in New York City last year, an increase of about 5.5 percent from the previous year.
In the past, each borough ran its own Special Victims squads, and each squad reported to its own chief of detectives. Now, the victims squads will report to a single commanding officer.