Bronx split takes effect: NYPD creates two major commands in borough to bring in more resources, combat gun violence

All of the Bronx’s station houses had been operated under the command of a single patrol borough. Now, much like Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens, it has two separate Borough Commands, North and South, which the top cop says will free up more resources ahead of the summer, a season known for an uptick in shootings.

According to Tisch, in 2025, the Bronx had more 911 calls for help than any of the other five boroughs — with nearly 1 million total calls for service. It put a significant strain on the borough’s lone command and its precicnts.

“Calls for service here have increased, operational demands have intensified, and the workload placed on this borough has continued to grow. Last year alone, the Bronx generated nearly one million 911calls for service, the highest volume of any borough in the city,” Tisch said. “Bronx residents have raised this issue with the NYPD for years, and they’re asking a fair question. Why should a borough carrying this level of demand continue operating under a structure that would not be acceptable elsewhere in New York City? The answer is it should not.”

Patrol Borough Bronx North will be headquartered at the current 48th Precinct and will oversee the 46th, 47th, 48th, 49th, 50th, and 52nd Precincts.

Bronx South will be headquartered at the newly renovated former 40th Precinct, and will comprise the 40th, 41st, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, and 45th Precincts.

Each borough command will have its own homicide squad, evidence collection team and other specialized units. Tisch said that more than 200 additional officers will be brought into the Bronx, though she stressed the change will not drain resources from other areas.

NYPD rolls out summer gun violence action plan

While authorities say that crime continues to fall, with major crime in the Bronx decreasing by over 15%, the city as a whole has seen a spate of children struck by gunfire.

Most recently, on May 13, a 5-year-old girl was grazed by a bullet outside of 1000 Southern Ave. in Longwood during a gang shootout. She was holding her mother’s hand when the bullet struck her ear.

Last month, 15-year-old Jaden Pierre was beaten and fatally shot in a basketball court argument at Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans. Also, in April, 7-month-old Kaori Patterson-More was struck and killed by a stray bullet on a gang beef.

As these tragedies take the lives of the youngest in the city, Tisch added that the NYPD launched its 2026 summer violence reduction plan, which will see the deployment of more than 2,500 officers across the city in hopes of fighting the wave of shootings.

“The plan runs through mid-September and includes 72 violence reduction zones across all five boroughs. More than 2,600 uniformed officers will be deployed or are being deployed as part of this plan. Those deployments are concentrated during the hours when violence historically spikes, particularly between the evening and early morning hours. That means more officers on foot posts, more resources in parks, at beaches, and in the neighborhoods that need them most,” Tisch said. “We are already seeing encouraging results in our summer zones during deployment hours, since inception, major crime in those zones is down nearly 41% traditional summer deployments are already active at locations like Coney Island, Prospect Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Flushing Meadows Park, and Orchard Beach.”

Mayor Mamdani said he is hopeful that the preemptive action will have a profound impact on New York, felt in ways beyond mere statistical numbers.

“It is my sincere hope that in a few months, once temperatures begin to cool down once again, once students are back in school, we will measure our success not through statistics but in classrooms and dinner tables without empty seats,” Mamdani said.