You’ve probably seen the dark blue uniforms patrolling the hallways of the projects in Brooklyn or the Bronx and just assumed they were regular NYPD. Most people do. But if you go back a few decades, the New York City Housing Authority Police Department (HAPD) was its own beast entirely. It wasn't just a subdivision or a specialized unit; it was a massive, independent police force with its own chief, its own culture, and its own unique set of problems. Honestly, it's one of the weirdest chapters in NYC history that almost nobody talks about anymore, despite how much it shaped the way public housing is policed today.
The department didn't just vanish into thin air. It was swallowed. In 1995, then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani made the controversial call to merge the Housing and Transit police forces into the NYPD. It changed everything.
Why the New York City Housing Authority Police existed in the first place
Public housing in New York is basically a city within a city. We’re talking about roughly 400,000 people—more than the population of many major U.S. hubs—living in NYCHA developments. Back in the 1950s, the city realized that regular precinct cops couldn't really handle the specific vertical challenges of high-rise projects. They needed people who knew the stairwells, the rooftops, and the families living in the apartments. So, the New York City Housing Authority Police was born.
It started small. Just some "guards" really. But by the 1990s, the HAPD had grown into the fifth-largest police department in the United States. Think about that for a second. A police force dedicated solely to public housing was bigger than the police departments of most major American cities.
They had their own detectives. They had their own specialized units like the PSA (Police Service Areas). They were "Housing Cops," and for a long time, there was a real sense of pride in that. But there was also a huge chip on their shoulder. Housing officers often felt like "second-class" cops compared to the NYPD "Blue Suits." They were paid less for years, even though they were walking some of the most dangerous beats in the country during the height of the crack epidemic.
The 1995 Merger: Efficiency or Erasure?
The merger was a massive political play. Giuliani and his first police commissioner, William Bratton, argued that having three separate police forces (NYPD, Transit, and Housing) was an administrative nightmare. They called it "fragmented policing." Basically, they wanted one radio frequency, one chain of command, and one vision: Broken Windows.
But if you talk to old-timers who were in the New York City Housing Authority Police at the time, the vibe was different. They felt like they were losing their identity. The HAPD had a specific way of working. Because they were stationed in specific developments, they knew the residents. They knew which kids were just hanging out and which ones were actually causing trouble. When the NYPD took over, that institutional knowledge started to evaporate.
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The NYPD created the Housing Bureau to replace the old department. It’s still around today, but it’s not the same. It’s a specialized wing of the NYPD now, governed by the same CompStat metrics as the rest of the city.
What most people get wrong about "Housing Cops"
There’s this persistent myth that the New York City Housing Authority Police were just security guards. That’s flat-out wrong. They were fully sworn peace officers with the same arrest powers as any other cop. They went to a rigorous academy. They carried guns. They died in the line of duty.
Take the case of Officer P.J. Ramos or many others who lost their lives in the elevators and hallways of NYCHA buildings. These officers were dealing with a unique kind of urban warfare. In a regular precinct, you patrol the streets. In the Housing Authority, you patrol "vertically." You spend your whole shift in stairwells where the lights are smashed out and you have no idea what’s behind the next heavy steel door.
Critics of the old system point out that the HAPD was often underfunded and sometimes lacked the high-level oversight of the NYPD. There were definitely scandals. Corruption existed. But there was also a level of community connection that seems almost impossible to replicate in the modern era of high-tech policing.
The lingering impact of the "Vertical Patrol"
Even though the New York City Housing Authority Police department is technically dead, its ghost haunts current litigation and social justice movements. Ever heard of Floyd v. City of New York? Or Davis v. City of New York? These lawsuits challenged the way the NYPD polices public housing, specifically focusing on "vertical patrols."
Vertical patrols are when officers walk the halls of NYCHA buildings, checking for trespassers. Under the old HAPD, this was the bread and butter of the job. Under the NYPD, it became a focal point for Fourth Amendment violations. Since the merger, the tension between "keeping residents safe" and "harassing residents in their own homes" has reached a boiling point several times.
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The tragedy of Akai Gurley in 2014 is a prime example. He was shot by an officer performing a vertical patrol in the Louis H. Pink Houses in East New York. That officer wasn't a member of the old New York City Housing Authority Police, but he was doing the job that the HAPD invented. The lack of experience and the "tactical" approach of the NYPD often clashed with the reality of living in public housing.
Why the HAPD still matters in 2026
You might wonder why we’re still talking about a defunct police force. It matters because the debate over "Specialized Policing" is coming back. With crime rates fluctuating and NYCHA facing a massive $78 billion capital need, people are asking if the NYPD merger actually worked.
Some housing advocates argue that the NYPD treats NYCHA residents like "occupying territory" rather than neighbors. There’s a quiet, growing movement of people who wonder if a return to a dedicated, community-focused force—similar to the original intent of the New York City Housing Authority Police—might actually be better.
On the flip side, the NYPD points to the drastic drop in murders and violent crime in the projects since 1995 as proof that the merger was a success. In the early 90s, the projects were seeing staggering numbers of homicides. Today, while still higher than the city average, those numbers are nowhere near the "War Zone" levels of the 80s.
The Reality of the "Housing Bureau" Today
Today, if you call the cops in a NYCHA building, you’re getting the NYPD Housing Bureau. They operate out of nine different "Police Service Areas" (PSAs).
- PSA 1 covers developments in Southern Brooklyn.
- PSA 4 covers the Lower East Side.
- PSA 7 handles the South Bronx.
They have their own specialized units, like the "Impact" teams, but they are firmly under the thumb of 1 Police Plaza. The autonomy of the old New York City Housing Authority Police is gone.
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Actionable insights for NYCHA residents and researchers
If you live in NYCHA or you're researching the history of NYC law enforcement, there are a few things you should know about how the current system functions compared to the old one.
Know your rights regarding "Vertical Patrols."
The settlement in the Davis v. City of New York case strictly limits how officers can conduct patrols in NYCHA buildings. They can't just stop you for "looking suspicious" in a hallway. You have the right to be in your building’s common areas if you are a resident or an invited guest.
Accessing historical records.
If you're looking for records of the old New York City Housing Authority Police, don't just search NYPD archives. Many of the HAPD’s internal documents, commendations, and historical rosters are kept in the NYCHA historical archives or the NYC Municipal Archives.
The Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB).
Whether an officer is part of the Housing Bureau or a regular precinct, they fall under the jurisdiction of the CCRB. If you feel you've been mistreated during a housing patrol, the process for filing a complaint is exactly the same as it is for any NYPD interaction.
Check the "Trespass Affidavit" Program.
One of the carry-overs from the old HAPD days is the "Clean Halls" or Trespass Affidavit Program. This allows police to patrol private or quasi-public hallways. Knowing if your specific building is part of this program can change how you navigate interactions with the Housing Bureau.
Ultimately, the New York City Housing Authority Police represents a lost era of NYC. It was a time when the city was more fractured, perhaps more dangerous, but also more localized. Whether the merger was a stroke of genius or a bureaucratic takeover depends entirely on who you ask—the person who feels safer in the elevator, or the person who feels like a prisoner in their own lobby.
The department is gone, but the unique challenges of policing "the city within a city" aren't going anywhere.
Key Takeaways for Navigating NYCHA Policing Today
- Understand the PSA system. Your local precinct is NOT the primary responder for NYCHA-specific issues; it's your designated Police Service Area. Find yours on the NYPD website.
- Review the "NYCHA House Rules." Many police interactions stem from minor violations of the Authority's "House Rules," not actual criminal law. Knowing these can prevent unnecessary stops.
- Engage with Resident Watch. The HAPD used to work closely with tenant-led "Tenant Patrols." These still exist in many buildings and provide a buffer between the community and the NYPD.
- Request Body Cam Footage. Since 2018, nearly all Housing Bureau officers are equipped with body-worn cameras. If an incident occurs in a stairwell or hallway, that footage is your most powerful tool.
The legacy of the New York City Housing Authority Police is baked into the concrete of every NYCHA tower. It's a history of struggle, service, and a very messy transition into the modern NYPD era. Knowing that history is the first step to understanding why the hallways of New York look the way they do today.