110-486: Union Square Theatre was the name of two different theatres near Union Square , Manhattan , New York City . The first was a Broadway theatre that opened in 1870, was converted into a cinema in 1921 and closed in 1936. The second was an Off-Broadway theatre that opened in 1985 and closed in 2016. The first theatre with this name in New York City was located at 58 East 14th Street. It opened in 1870 and played
220-473: A pocket park in a traffic island at the southeast corner of Union Square, which was completed in 2000. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, Union Square became a primary public gathering point for mourners. People created spontaneous candle and photograph memorials in the park and vigils were held to honor the victims. At the time, non-emergency vehicles were temporarily banned and pedestrian travel
330-575: A 12-pound trigger pull. The NYPD is affiliated with the New York City Police Foundation and the New York City Police Museum . It also runs a Youth Police academy to provide a positive interaction with police officers and to educate young people about the challenges and responsibilities of police work. The NYPD additionally sponsors a Law Enforcement Explorer Program through Scouting America (formerly
440-448: A 2021 FiveThirtyEight analysis, New York City spent at least an average of US$ 170 million annually in settlements related to police misconduct over ten years. In the 1990s the department developed a CompStat system of management which has also since been established in other cities. The NYPD has extensive crime scene investigation and laboratory resources, as well as units that assist with computer crime investigations. In 2005,
550-544: A concert plaza with a bandstand at the park's northern end. There were also plans to relocate the Washington statue to Washington Square Park , although this proposal was opposed. Although the city decided to keep the Washington statue in Union Square Park, the statue was relocated to the southeast corner to make way for a flagpole honoring former Tammany Hall leader Charles F. Murphy . Landscaping of
660-489: A different badge design (except "police officer" and "probationary police officer") and, upon change in rank, officers receive a new badge. Lower-ranked police officers are identified by their shield numbers, and tax registry numbers. Lieutenants and above do not have shield numbers and are identified by tax registry numbers. All sworn members of the NYPD have their ID card photos taken against a red background. Civilian employees of
770-461: A gathering point for many of the city's socialist and communist groups. The centennial of Union Square was seen as a thinly veiled effort to displace those elements with its draping of the square with flags and police demonstrations of anti protester drills. The Villager , a local newspaper, reported in 2013 that most of the street chess players at Washington Square Park —where Bobby Fischer had played—had moved their games to Union Square because
880-401: A large equestrian statue of U.S. President George Washington , modeled by Henry Kirke Brown and unveiled in 1856. Located at the south end of the park, it was the first public sculpture erected in New York City since the equestrian statue of George III in 1770, and the first American equestrian sculpture cast in bronze. The Marquis de Lafayette , at Union Square East and 16th Street,
990-428: A lighter trigger pull as of 2021. The Smith & Wesson 5946 semi-automatic 9mm with a double action only (DAO) trigger, was issued to recruits in the past; however, the pistol has been discontinued. While it is no longer an option for new hires, officers who were issued the weapon may continue to use it. Shotgun-certified officers were authorized to carry Ithaca 37 shotguns, which are being phased out in favor of
1100-518: A mixture of plays and operettas. It staged Oscar Wilde 's first play, Vera; or, The Nihilists . After 1883, it hosted vaudeville as part of the B. F. Keith Circuit and Keith-Albee-Orpheum circuit. In 1921, it was renamed the Acme Theatre and converted into a cinema that eventually showed Soviet films and closed in 1936. The original structure was revealed during a November 1992 demolition of Union Square between 4th Avenue & Broadway, and
1210-454: A partnership between the NYPD and Microsoft . It allows the NYPD to track surveillance targets and gain detailed information about them. It also has access to data from at least 2 billion license plate readings, 100 million summonses, 54 million 911 calls, 15 million complaints, 12 million detective reports, 11 million arrests, and 2 million warrants. The data from the 9,000 CCTV cameras is kept for 30 days. Text records are searchable. The system
SECTION 10
#17327766304831320-654: A police officer while serving as commissioner. This affects their police pensions, and their ability to carry a firearm without a pistol permit. Some police commissioners carry a personal firearm, but they also have a full-time security detail. Commissioners and deputy commissioners are administrators who specialize in areas of great importance to the Department, such as counterterrorism, support services, public information, legal matters, intelligence, and information technology. However, as civilian administrators, deputy commissioners are prohibited from taking operational control of
1430-405: A police situation (the commissioner and the first deputy commissioner may take control of these situations, however). Within the rank structure, there are also designations, known as "grades", that connote differences in duties, experience, and pay. However, supervisory functions are generally reserved for the rank of sergeant and above. The Chief of Department serves as the senior sworn member of
1540-482: A square at the union. In 1815, by act of the state legislature, this former potter's field became a public commons for the city, at first named Union Place. Union Place originally was supposed to extend from 10th to 17th Streets. Several city officials objected that Union Place was too large and requested that it be "discontinued", and in 1814, the New York State Legislature acted to downsize
1650-487: Is 10003. It is patrolled by the 13th Precinct of the New York City Police Department . The New York City Subway 's 14th Street–Union Square station , served by the 4 , 5 , 6 , <6> , L , N , Q , R , and W trains, is located under Union Square. Prior to the area's settlement,
1760-568: Is a melancholy monument to a once-thriving commercial district." In 1982, a $ 1.5 million refurbishment of Union Square Park was announced. At the time, the park was frequented by drug users because of its tall hedges, and many of the benches, lights, and statues had been vandalized. The first phase of the renovation, which cost $ 3.6 million, was completed in May 1985. The renovations included removing hedges, increasing lighting, and erecting new subway entrances. The renovation of Union Square, along with
1870-425: Is connected to 9,000 video cameras around New York City. In 2020, the NYPD deployed a robotic dog, known as Digidog, manufactured by Boston Dynamics . The robotic dog has cameras which send back real-time footage along with lights and two-way communication, and it is able to navigate on its own using artificial intelligence. Reaction by locals to Digidog was mixed. Deployment of Digidog led to condemnation from
1980-404: Is the site of a regular hip-hop freestyle rap cypher called Legendary Cyphers since 2012. The events draw residents from across the city and tourists and encourage participation in freestyle hip-hop. Notable local hip-hop artists such as Joey Bada$ $ have attended in the past. The Union Square Partnership (USP), a business improvement district (BID) and a local development corporation (LDC),
2090-596: The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company 's Broadway Line , under the park in 1913. The station was built using an open cut method, and a 120-foot-wide (37 m) strip of land, running diagonally through Union Square Park, was closed and excavated. By late 1913, large portions of Union Square Park had been demolished as part of the construction of the Broadway Line's Union Square station. New York City's parks commissioner promised members of
2200-753: The City of New York Police Department , is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City . Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, municipal police departments in the United States. The NYPD is headquartered 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 . Dedicated units of
2310-512: The Department of Homeland Security and Congress. The NYPD states that the robot is meant for hostage, terrorism, bomb threat, and hazardous material situations, and that it was properly disclosed to the public under current law. Following continued pushback against Digidog, including opposition to the system's $ 94,000 price tag, the NYPD announced on April 28, 2021, that its lease would be terminated. In April 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced
SECTION 20
#17327766304832420-553: The Domain Awareness System , a network that provides information and analytics to police, drawn from a variety of sources, including a network of 9,000 publicly and privately owned license plate readers , surveillance cameras , shotspotter data, NYPD databases, radiation, and chemical sensors. The Domain Awareness System of surveillance was developed as part of Lower Manhattan Security Initiative in
2530-618: The George Floyd protests in New York City in 2020. The Square's shopping district saw strikes in the S. Klein and Ohrbach department stores in 1934. White collar workers were among the worst paid in Great Depression -era New York City, with union memberships being highly discouraged by store managers and often seen as fireable offenses. These strikes often involved acts of disobedience by the workers as many of them did not want to lose their jobs. This period saw Union Square as
2640-579: The Germania Life Insurance Company Building , erected at the northeast corner of the same intersection in 1910–1911; and the Consolidated Edison Building , constructed three blocks south at 14th Street between 1910 and 1914. Existing houses were also converted into stores, including a pair of merchants' houses on the east side of the park at 16th Street in 1916. During this era, many of
2750-493: The Hyatt Union Square New York hotel is located at the park's southeast corner, in a former post office. The park has historically been the start or the end point for many political demonstrations. Although the park was known for its labor union rallies and for the large 1861 gathering in support of Union troops, it was actually named for its location at the "union" of Bloomingdale Road (now Broadway) and
2860-761: The New York City Housing Authority Police Department merged into the NYPD in 1995, becoming the Transit Bureau and Housing Bureau respectively. In 1996, the New York City Department of Transportation 's Traffic Operations Bureau was merged into the NYPD, becoming the Transportation Bureau. In 1998, the New York City Department of Education 's School Safety Division became part of the NYPD's Community Affairs Bureau. In 2021,
2970-538: The New York City Subway 's 14th Street–Union Square station having opened in 1904. With the northward relocation of the theater district, Union Square also became a major wholesaling district with several loft buildings, as well as numerous office buildings. The office structures included the Everett Building , erected at the northwest corner of Park Avenue South and 17th Street in 1908;
3080-655: The Smith & Wesson Model 64 DAO, a .38 Special revolver with a three- or four-inch barrel, and the Ruger Police Service-Six with a four-inch barrel. This type of revolver was called the Model NY-1 by the department. After the switch in 1994 to semi-automatic pistols, officers who privately purchased revolvers before January 1, 1994, were allowed to use them for duty use until August 31, 2018. They were grandfathered in as approved off-duty guns. Before
3190-488: The ' kettling ' of protesters, an officer removing the mask of a protester and pepper spraying him, and an incident where police vehicles were driven into a crowd. An investigation by New York City's Department of Investigation concluded that the NYPD had exercised excessive force during the George Floyd protests. In 2024, the NYPD tossed out more than 400 civilian complaints about police misconduct without reviewing
3300-468: The 1920s, with "burlesque houses, shooting galleries, and shoddy businesses" lining the square. Throughout the decade, most buildings on the eastern part of the square were purchased by department stores S. Klein and Ohrbach's . Real estate activity resumed in the late 1920s, and according to a 1928 piece in The New York Times , “several smaller operations are planned or are under way in
3410-632: The Commissioner and bureau chiefs report to the Commissioner through the Chief of Department. Specialized units within the Transit Bureau include Borough Task Forces, Anti-Terrorism Unit, Citywide Vandals Task Force, Canine Unit, Special Projects Unit, and MetroCard Fraud Task Force. Officers graduate from the Police Academy after five and a half to six months (or sometimes more) of training in various academic, physical, and tactical fields. For
Union Square Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue
3520-586: The Environment of New York City (now GrowNYC) established the Greenmarket program, which provided regional small-family farmers with opportunities to sell their fruits, vegetables and other farm products at open-air markets in the city. There were originally seven farmers at the first Greenmarket, and their selection sold out by noon. That summer, two more markets opened in New York City. Despite some backlash from local merchants and supermarkets who believed
3630-549: The Everett House hotel facing the north side of the square, for the capitol of the government-in-exile they declared. On September 5, 1882, in the first Labor Day celebration, a crowd of at least 10,000 workers paraded up Broadway and filed past the reviewing stand at Union Square. On March 28, 1908, an anarchist set off a bomb in Union Square which only killed himself and another man. In 1893, Emma Goldman took
3740-622: The Greenmarket was cutting into their profits, more markets opened in the city. Today, the Union Square Greenmarket, the best known of the markets, is held year-round on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays between 8 am and 6 pm. The market is served by a number of regional farmers, as the average distance between farmers and the market is 90 miles (140 km). During peak seasons, the Greenmarket serves more than 250,000 customers per week, who purchase more than one thousand varieties of fruits and vegetables can be found at
3850-613: The Greenmarket; and the variety of produce available is much broader than what is found in a conventional supermarket. Union Square hosts the Union Square Holiday Market every November and December, in which more than 150 vendors sell handcrafts. Around two million people visit the Holiday Market annually. Starting in 2024, UrbanSpace also hosted the Night Market food market in Union Square during
3960-735: The High School for Language and Diplomacy, the International High School at Union Square, the Union Square Academy for Health Sciences and the Academy for Software Engineering. In 2012, Success Academy Charter Schools announced its plan to open an elementary school in the building, and an elementary school opened there the next year. Notes Bibliography New York City Police Department The New York City Police Department ( NYPD ), officially
4070-544: The James Fountain, is a Temperance fountain with the figure of Charity who empties her jug of water, aided by a child. It was donated by Daniel Willis James and sculpted by Adolf Donndorf . The Charles F. Murphy Memorial Flagpole, also known as the Independence Flagstaff , was cast in 1926 and dedicated in 1930 to mark the 150th anniversary of U.S. independence. It is located in the center of
4180-723: The Manhattan Bank, which supposedly was a "refuge" for businesses during New York City's yellow fever epidemics. When John Randel was surveying the island in preparation for the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 , the Bloomingdale Road (now Broadway ) angled away from the Bowery at an acute angle. Because it would have been difficult to develop buildings upon this angle, the Commissioners decided to form
4290-493: The NYPD began to police street-level drug markets much more intensively, leading to a sharp increase in incarceration. In 1992, Mayor David Dinkins created an independent Civilian Complaint Review Board for the NYPD. In response to this, some NYPD officers violently protested and rioted. They blocked traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge, demonstrated at City Hall and shouted racial epithets. The protests were sponsored by
4400-471: The NYPD ceased enforcement of marijuana crimes other than driving under the influence . In 2024, the NYPD changed its motto from "Courtesy, Professionalism, Respect" to "Fighting Crime, Protecting the Public". The department is administered and governed by the police commissioner , who is appointed by the mayor . Technically, the Commissioner serves a five-year term; as a practical matter, they serve at
4510-436: The NYPD established a "Real Time Crime Center" to assist in investigations; This is essentially a searchable database that pulls information from departmental records, including traffic tickets, court summonses, and previous complaints to reports, as well as arrest reports. The database contains files to identify individuals based on tattoos, body marks, teeth, and skin conditions, based on police records. NYPD also maintains
Union Square Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue
4620-589: The NYPD have their ID card photos taken against a blue background, signifying that they are not commissioned to carry a firearm. All ID cards have an expiration date. Although the First Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Department share the same insignia (four stars), the First Deputy Commissioner outranks the Chief of Department. The Deputy Commissioners Bureau Chiefs/Bureau Chief Chaplains and Chief Surgeon have three stars. ^ †: Rank that has no police powers As of October 2023,
4730-500: The NYPD include the Emergency Service Unit , K-9 , harbor patrol , highway patrol , air support , bomb squad , counterterrorism , criminal intelligence , anti- organized crime , narcotics , mounted patrol , public transportation , and public housing units. The NYPD employs over 40,000 people, including more than 30,000 uniformed officers as of September 2023. According to the official CompStat database,
4840-401: The NYPD of manipulating crime statistics. In 2009, NYPD officer Adrian Schoolcraft was arrested, abducted by his fellow officers and involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital after he provided evidence of manipulation of crime statistics (intentional under reporting of crimes) and intentional wrongful arrests (to meet arrest quotas). He filed a federal suit against the department, which
4950-418: The NYPD responded to 482,337 reports of crime and made 214,617 arrests. There were 95,606 major felonies reported in 2019, compared to over half a million per year when crime in New York City peaked during the crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s. The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute has been regularly measuring public opinion of the NYPD since 1997 when just under 50% of the public approved of
5060-428: The NYPD responded to nearly 500,000 reports of crime and made over 200,000 arrests during 2019. In 2020, it had a budget of US$ 6 billion . However, the NYPD's actual spending often exceeds its budget. The NYPD has a history of police brutality, corruption, and misconduct , which critics argue persists till the present day. Due to its high-profile location in New York City, the largest city and media center in
5170-476: The NYPD union. In 1994 the NYPD developed the CompStat computer system for tracking crime geographically, which is now in use by other police departments in the United States and Canada. Research is mixed on whether CompStat had an impact on crime rates. Throughout the mid to late 1990s, several mergers took place which changed the landscape of policing in New York City. The New York City Transit Police and
5280-421: The NYPD was also accused of extorting a Brooklyn bar owner. The owner said that associate director Ray Martin of the mayor's Office of Entertainment and Nightlife told him that he could pay Commissioner Caban's brother for better treatment from police. Caban resigned his commission shortly after, following a federal investigation into the NYPD's nightclub enforcement. Three days before resigning, Caban watered down
5390-474: The NYPD's current authorized uniformed strength is 33,536. There are also 19,454 civilian employees, including approximately 3,500 traffic enforcement agents, 4,500 auxiliary police officers , and 5,500 school safety agents , are presently employed by the department as well as being deployed on the streets. The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York (NYC PBA), the largest municipal police union in
5500-443: The NYPD's misconduct rules, reducing penalties for officers "guilty of abusing authority, using offensive language, failing to take a civilian complaint, and conducting an unlawful search." The NYPD has been persistently criticized by safe streets community advocates for endangering cyclists by parking their vehicles in bike lanes, and for misapplying the law when ticketing cyclists riding outside blocked bike lanes. According to
5610-474: The NYPD. On June 12, 2023, Sewell announced that she was stepping down as commissioner. No reason was given for her departure. The NYPD has lost 932 officers in the line of duty since 1849. This figure includes officers from agencies that were later absorbed by or became a part of the modern NYPD, in addition to the NYPD itself. This number also includes 28 officers killed on and off duty by gunfire of other officers on duty. Gunfire from adversaries has resulted in
SECTION 50
#17327766304835720-722: The NYPD. Jeffrey Maddrey, a longtime NYPD veteran, is the 43rd individual to hold the post, which before 1987 was known as the chief of operations and before that as chief inspector. The department is divided into 20 bureaus, which are typically commanded by a uniformed bureau chief (such as the chief of patrol and the chief of housing) or a civilian deputy commissioner (such as the Deputy Commissioner of Information Technology). The bureaus fit under four umbrellas: Patrol, Transit & Housing, Investigative, and Administrative. Bureaus are often subdivided into smaller divisions and units. All deputy commissioners report directly to
5830-582: The New York state assembly passed the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act, which provides that any police officer in the state of New York who injures or kills somebody through the use of "a chokehold or similar restraint" can be charged with a class C felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the police reforms into law on June 12, 2020, which he described as "long overdue". In 2020 during
5940-532: The Ruger Mini 14 556 rifle. From 1926 until 1986 the standard weapons of the department were the Smith & Wesson Model 10 and the Colt Official Police .38 Special revolvers with four-inch barrels. Female officers had the option to choose to carry a three-inch barrel revolver instead of the normal four-inch model due to its lighter weight. Before 1994, the standard weapon of the NYPD was
6050-683: The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project and the American Civil Liberties Union due to privacy concerns. In response to its deployment, a city council member has proposed a law banning armed robots; this would not apply to Digidog as Digidog is not armed and Boston Dynamics prohibits arming its robots. On April 24, 2021, U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres proposed new federal legislation requiring police departments receiving federal funds to report use of surveillance technology to
6160-447: The U.S., fictionalized versions of the NYPD and its officers have frequently been portrayed in novels, radio, television, motion pictures, and video games . The Municipal Police were established in 1845, replacing an old night watch system. Mayor William Havemeyer shepherded the NYPD together. The NYPD appointed its first Black officer in 1911 and the first female officer in 1918. During Richard Enright 's tenure as commissioner,
6270-605: The Union Square Rialto was the Academy of Music , which opened at Irving Place in 1854. The theater district gradually relocated northward, into less expensive and undeveloped uptown neighborhoods, and eventually into the current Theater District . Before the Civil War , theatres in New York City were primarily located along Broadway and the Bowery up to 14th Street , with those on Broadway appealing more to
6380-513: The United States, represents over 50,000 active and retired police officers. The entire police force in 2023: 47% are white and 53% are members of minority groups. Of 21,603 officers on patrol: Of 5,164 detectives : Of 4,376 sergeants : Of 1,635 lieutenants : Of 360 captains : Of 101 police chiefs : As a rule, NYPD officers can reside in New York City as well as Westchester , Rockland , Orange , Putnam , Suffolk and Nassau counties and approximately half of them live outside
6490-410: The area around present-day Union Square was farmland. The western part of the site was owned by Elias Brevoort, who later sold his land to John Smith in 1762; by 1788 it had been sold again to Henry Spingler (or Springler). On the eastern part of the land were farms owned by John Watts and Cornelius Williams . The northwestern corner of the park site contained 1 acre (0.40 ha) of land owned by
6600-471: The area by making 14th Street the southern boundary. In 1831, at a time when the city was quickly expanding and the surrounding area was still sparsely developed, Samuel Ruggles , one of the founders of the Bank of Commerce and the developer of Gramercy Park to the northeast, convinced the city to rename the area "Union Square". In doing so, Ruggles also got the city to enlarge the commons to 17th Street on
6710-535: The century several big-box chain stores established a presence, including Barnes & Noble in the Century Building , Babies "R" Us in the former United States Communist Party headquarters, and Staples in the Spingler Building . The W New York Union Square , part of the W Hotels chain, is located at the park's northeast corner, in the former Guardian Life building. Additionally,
SECTION 60
#17327766304836820-561: The city (51% in 2020, up from 42% in 2016). Legislation has been introduced to require newly hired officers to reside in New York City. On January 1, 2022, Keechant Sewell became the first woman to serve as the NYPD Commissioner . Juanita N. Holmes, appointed Chief of the Patrol Bureau in 2020, was the first black woman to hold this command and at the time of her appointment, was the highest-ranked uniformed woman in
6930-580: The city from renovating the pavilion. In early 2009, a judge dismissed the lawsuit against the renovation, allowing a seasonal restaurant in the pavilion. CMS Architecture and Design was hired in 2011 to design the restaurant in the pavilion. The Pavilion restaurant opened in Union Square Park in May 2014, following years of disputes. In 2021, the Union Square Partnership proposed spending $ 100 million to overhaul Union Square. The plan entailed closing off adjacent streets to increase
7040-586: The city settled before trial in 2015, also giving him back pay for the period when he was suspended. The Knapp Commission found in 1970 that the NYPD had systematic corruption problems. The Civilian Complaint Review Board is a civilian-led 13-member panel tasked with investigating misconduct or lesser abuse accusations against NYPD officers, including use of abuse of authority, discourtesy, excessive use-of-force, and offensive language. Complaints against officers may be filed online, by mail, by phone, or in person at any NYPD station. On June 8, 2020, both houses of
7150-479: The construction of the Zeckendorf Towers, caused real-estate values in the area to increase. By 1987, there were plans to close off two blocks of the little-used Union Square West to make way for an expansion of the park. This plan was not carried out at the time due to a lack of funds. When the idea of closing Union Square West was again proposed in 1996, local business owners opposed the proposal because
7260-528: The continuation of Broadway on the park's south side. The park is maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation . Adjacent neighborhoods are the Flatiron District to the north, Chelsea to the west, Greenwich Village to the southwest, East Village to the southeast, and Gramercy Park to the east. Many buildings of The New School are near the square, as are several dormitories of New York University . The eastern side of
7370-548: The country's first Shomrim Society , a fraternal organization of Jewish police officers, was founded in the NYPD in 1924. At the time, NYPD had 700 Jewish officers on the force. In 1961, highly decorated NYPD officer Mario Biaggi , later a US Congressman, became the first police officer in New York State to be made a member of the National Police Officers Hall of Fame. In the mid-1980s,
7480-673: The deaths of 286 officers. The NYPD lost 23 officers in the September 11, 2001 attacks , not including another 247 who later died of 9/11-related illnesses. The NYPD has more line-of-duty deaths than any other American law enforcement agency. The NYPD has a broad array of specialized services, including the Emergency Service Unit , K9 , harbor patrol , air support , bomb squad , counter-terrorism , criminal intelligence , anti- gang , anti- organized crime , narcotics , public transportation , and public housing units. The NYPD Intelligence Division & Counter-Terrorism Bureau has officers stationed in eleven cities internationally. In 2019
7590-465: The early 19th century. Its name denotes that "here was the union of the two principal thoroughfares of the island". The current Union Square Park is bounded by 14th Street on the south, 17th Street on the north, and Union Square West and Union Square East to the west and east respectively. 17th Street links together Broadway and Park Avenue South on the north end of the park, while Union Square East connects Park Avenue South to Fourth Avenue and
7700-470: The early part of the COVID-19 pandemic , many NYPD officers refused to wear face masks while policing protests related to racial injustice, contrary to the recommendations of health experts and authorities. During the George Floyd protests, The New York Times reported that more than 60 videos showed NYPD police attacking protesters, many of whom were attacked without cause. Included in these attacks were
7810-460: The end of the century, a thriving theatrical neighborhood, which would soon nonetheless migrate uptown to what became known as " Broadway " as the Rialto became subsumed into the more vice-oriented Tenderloin entertainment district. By the first decade of the 20th century, Union Square had grown into a major transportation hub with several elevated and surface railroad lines running nearby, and
7920-533: The evidence. All of the cases had been investigated by the Civilian Complaint Review Board. In March, NYPD commissioner Edward Caban said that the force had exceeded its overtime budget by $ 100 million, spending $ 2.5 million a week on overtime alone amid political demonstrations throughout the city and increased deployments in the subway system. Police overtime spending went from $ 4 million in 2022 to $ 155 million in 2023. In September,
8030-479: The first 18 months of their careers, they are designated as "Probationary Police Officers", or more informally, "rookies". There are three career "tracks" in the NYPD: supervisory, investigative, and specialist. The supervisory track consists of nine ranks; promotion to the ranks of sergeant , lieutenant , and captain are made via competitive civil service examinations. After reaching the rank of captain, promotion to
8140-662: The former Bowery Road decades before these gatherings. On April 20, 1861, soon after the fall of Fort Sumter , Major Robert Anderson , who was the commander of Fort Sumter brought the Fort Sumter Flag that flew at the fort to the park. The flag was flown from the George Washington statue, gathering patriotic rally of perhaps a quarter of a million people that is thought to have been the largest public gathering in North America up to that time. The flag
8250-532: The issuing of the 9mm semi-automatic pistol NYPD detectives and plainclothes officers often carried the Colt Detective Special and/or the Smith & Wesson Model 36 "Chief's Special" .38 Special caliber snub-nosed (two-inch) barrel revolvers for their ease of concealment while dressed in civilian clothes. The Kahr K9 9mm pistol was an approved off-duty/backup weapon from 1998 to 2011. It was pulled from service because it could not be modified to
8360-591: The job the NYPD was doing. Approval peaked at 78% in 2002 following the World Trade Center terrorist attacks in September 2001 , and has ranged between 52 and 72% since. Approval varies by race/ethnicity, with black and Hispanic respondents consistently less likely to say they approve of the job the NYPD is doing than whites. In 2017, the Quinnipiac poll found that New York City voters approve of
8470-710: The latter had more foot traffic. Street chess players play fast chess with passers-by for three to five dollars a game, with time controls of five minutes on each side being the most common. Writer Lauren Snetiker at the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation also documents this migration of the historical Washington Square Park chess scene to Union Square, noting the "dozens of chess players [who] sit on crates and bring their own boards... as there are no permanent ones like there are in Washington Square Park". Union Square
8580-409: The mayor's pleasure. The commissioner in turn appoints the first deputy commissioner, numerous deputy commissioners, and the Chief of Department (the most senior uniformed officer). By default, the commissioner and their subordinate deputies are civilians under an oath of office and are not sworn officers. However, a commissioner who comes up from the sworn ranks retains the status and statutory powers of
8690-527: The middle and upper classes and the Bowery theatres attracting immigrant audiences, clerks and the working class. After the war, the development of the Ladies' Mile shopping district along Fifth and Sixth Avenues above 14th Street had the effect of pulling the playhouses uptown, so that a "Rialto" theatrical strip came about on Broadway between 14th and 23rd Streets, between Union Square and Madison Square . At
8800-490: The neighborhood". By then, at least eight banks had opened locations on the western and eastern sides of the park. City officials announced in 1910 that they would install a firefighters' memorial near the northern end of the park. The same year, there was a failed proposal to construct a courthouse within the park. As part of the Dual Contracts , workers began constructing the 14th Street–Union Square station , on
8910-495: The neighborhood's largest retailers, such as Ohrbach's and Hearn's, had relocated by the 1950s, and the area began to decline. One of the last major retailers on Union Square, S. Klein , closed in 1975. The S. Klein site remained vacant until 1983, when William Zeckendorf leased the site for the Zeckendorf Towers development. The New York Times wrote at the time, "The former S. Klein store, boarded up since 1975,
9020-404: The new theatres. The new system also needed an organized way to engage actors for these one-off productions, so talent brokers and theatrical agents sprang up, as did theatrical boardinghouses, stage photographers, publicity agencies, theatrical printers and play publishers. Along with the hotels and restaurants which serviced the theatregoers and shoppers of the area, the Union Square Rialto was, by
9130-528: The newer Mossberg 590 . Officers and detectives belonging to the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit , Counter-terrorism Bureau and Strategic Response Group are armed with a range of select-fire weapons and long guns, such as the Colt M4A1 carbine and similar-pattern Colt AR-15 rifles, Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun, and the Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle. NYPD ESU Officers also use
9240-452: The north and extend the axis of University Place to form the square's west side, thus turning the common from a triangular to a rectangular area. By 1832, the area had been renamed Union Square. Ruggles obtained a fifty-year lease on most of the surrounding lots from 15th to 19th Streets, where he built sidewalks and curbs. In 1834, he convinced the Board of Aldermen to enclose and grade
9350-440: The older homes on Union Square were converted into tenements for immigrants and industrial workers. Numerous artists relocated into the attics of the remaining mansions along 14th Street, where they had their studios. The 1939 WPA Guide to New York City said that by the 1920s, the "south side of Fourteenth Street became virtually an ex-tension of Greenwich Village ". Further, real estate values around Union Square had declined by
9460-409: The park had become extremely popular, causing vehicular traffic in the neighborhood to increase significantly. Union Square was named a National Historic Landmark in 1997, primarily to honor it as the site of the first Labor Day parade. Mayor Rudy Giuliani announced plans in early 1998 to spend $ 2.6 million on expanding the park, following advocacy from area residents. The expansion consisted of
9570-478: The park was delayed by the construction of the subway mezzanine below it. The park's renovation was nearly completed by mid-1931; the last construction contract, for the bandstand, was awarded that August. After building the bandstand, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation could not afford to landscape the park. As a result, civic groups started landscaping the park for free in June 1932. Most of
9680-466: The park's size by 33%, as well as adding benches and lighting, improving restrooms, and refurbishing a dog run in the park itself. There are several notable buildings surrounding Union Square. Clockwise from southwest, they are: In addition, the Consolidated Edison Building is located one block east of the Zeckendorf Towers. The Century Association clubhouse is located on 15th Street between Irving Place and Union Square East. Union Square contains
9790-569: The park. In October 2023, an outdoor version of the sculpture N.Y.C. Legend by the Swedish artist Alexander Klingspor , featuring a New York sewer alligator , was unveiled in the square by Queen Silvia of Sweden . A double line of trees is planted along 17th Street, and a corresponding plaque installed nearby, as a monument to victims of the Armenian genocide . In 1976, the Council on
9900-561: The park. A group of sculptors approved his proposal the same month. In 1927, the Municipal Art Society approved plans for a renovation of the park, which was to include a covered parking area at the north end of the park. To make way for a further expansion of the Union Square subway station, the park was raised by about 3 feet (0.91 m) as part of a renovation during the late 1920s. The plans, announced in June 1929, also included relocating several statues and building
10010-401: The public approved of the NYPD 53% to 40% against, again with strong racial differences: 59% of whites and Asians approved, as did 51% of Hispanics, whereas 51% of black residents disapproved. The NYPD has a long history of police brutality , corruption , and misconduct as well as discrimination based on gender, race, and religion. Critics, including from within the NYPD, have accused
10120-412: The public that the park would be remodeled after the station was finished. The station had been completed by early 1916, and workers began restoring the section of Union Square Park above the 14th Street station. The city's park commissioner Francis D. Gallatin proposed relocating the park's Washington , Lincoln , and Lafayette statues in 1922 to bring the Washington statue closer to the center of
10230-492: The purpose by Henry G. Marquand at the corner of 17th Street and Broadway. After the Civil War the neighborhood became largely commercial, and the square began to lose social cachet at the turn of the twentieth century, with many of the old mansions being demolished. Tiffany & Co. , which had moved to the square from Broadway and Broome Street in 1870, left its premises on 15th Street to move uptown to 37th Street in 1905;
10340-798: The ranks of deputy inspector, inspector, deputy chief, assistant chief, (bureau) chief, and chief of department is always at the discretion of the NYPD commissioner. Promotion from the rank of police officer to detective is discretionary by the police commissioner or required by law when the officer has performed outstanding investigative duty for eighteen months or more. Badges in the New York City Police Department are referred to as "shields" (the traditional term), though not all badge designs are strictly shield-shaped . Some officers have used "Pottsy" badges, "dupes", or duplicate badges, as officers are punished for losing their shield by also losing up to ten days' pay. Every rank has
10450-590: The revival of the Digidog program in a reversal of his predecessor Bill de Blasio , saying "Digidog is out of the pound." Two robots were purchased at that time for a total of $ 750,000 using funds from asset forfeiture . New NYPD officers are allowed to choose from one of two 9mm service pistols : the Glock 17 Gen4 and Glock 19 Gen4 . All duty handguns were previously modified to a 12- pound (53 N ) NY-2 trigger pull, though recruits were being issued handguns with
10560-416: The same time, a transition from stock companies, in which a resident acting company was based around a star or impresario, to a "combination" system, in which productions were put together on a one-time basis to mount a specific play, expanded the amount of outside support needed to service the theatrical industry. Thus, suppliers of props, costumes, wigs, scenery, and other theatrical necessities grew up around
10670-458: The silversmiths Gorham Company moved up from 19th Street in 1906. The last of the neighborhood's free-standing private mansions, Peter Goelet's at the northeast corner of 19th Street, made way for a commercial building in 1897. The Rialto, New York City's first commercial theater district, was located in and around Union Square beginning in the 1870s. It was named after Venice 's Rialto , a commercial district. The first facility to open within
10780-453: The square is dominated by the four Zeckendorf Towers , and the south side by the full-square-block mixed-use One Union Square South, which contains a wall sculpture and digital clock titled Metronome . Union Square Park also contains an assortment of art, including statues of George Washington , Marquis de Lafayette , Abraham Lincoln , and Mahatma Gandhi . Union Square is part of Manhattan Community District 5 and its primary ZIP Code
10890-625: The square, then sold most of his leases and in 1839 built a four-story house facing the east side of the Square. The park at Union Square was completed and opened in July 1839. A fountain was built in the center of Union Square to receive water from the Croton Aqueduct , completed in October 1842. In 1845, as the square finally began to fill with affluent houses, $ 116,000 was spent in paving
11000-568: The stage at Union Square to make her "Free Bread" speech to a crowd of overworked garment workers. She also addressed a crowd in 1916 on the need for free access to birth control, which was banned by the Comstock laws . Her visits to Union Square pulled hundreds of followers; some of these rallies resulted in her arrest. Union Square has been used as a platform to raise awareness about the Black Lives Matter movement, such as during
11110-490: The summer. Union Square is a popular meeting place, given its central location in Manhattan and its many nearby subway routes. There are many bars and restaurants on the periphery of the square, and the surrounding streets have some of the city's most renowned (and expensive) restaurants. S. Klein's department store promoted itself in the mid-20th century as an "On the Square" alternative to higher prices uptown, and late in
11220-422: The surrounding streets and planting the square, in part owing to the continued encouragement of Ruggles. The sole survivors of this early phase, though they have been much adapted and rebuilt, are a series of three- and four-story brick rowhouses, 862–866 Broadway, at the turn where Broadway exits the square at 17th Street. The Everett House on the corner of 17th Street and Fourth Avenue (built 1848, demolished 1908)
11330-517: The theatre. Its longest-running productions were Slava's Snowshow , for 28 months, and Wit , for 18 months. Its final production was The 39 Steps . (Source: Internet Off-Broadway Database ) Union Square, Manhattan Union Square is a historic intersection and surrounding neighborhood in Manhattan , New York City, United States, located where Broadway and the former Bowery Road – now Fourth Avenue – came together in
11440-417: The way NYPD, in general, does its job by a margin of 67–25%. Approval was 79–15 percent among white voters, 52–37 percent among black voters, and 73–24 percent among Hispanic voters. 86% of voters said crime is a serious problem, 71% said police brutality is a serious problem and 61% said police corruption is a serious problem. A 2020 poll commissioned by Manhattan Institute for Policy Research reported that
11550-475: Was finally demolished in December. Today the site is a flagship branch of Citibank . The second theatre was located at 100 East 17th Street (also known as 44 Union Square ) in the former Tammany Hall building, built in 1929. It opened in 1994 and was operated by Liberty Theatres . On January 3, 2016, the theater was closed as part of a complete renovation of the building, including the planned demolition of
11660-484: Was for decades one of the city's most fashionable hotels. In the early years of the park, a fence surrounded the square's central oval planted with radiating walks lined with trees. In 1872, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux were called in to replant the park, as an open glade with clumps of trees. Initially, the square was largely residential: the Union League Club first occupied a house loaned for
11770-501: Was formed in 1984 and became a model for other BIDs in New York City. Jennifer E. Falk became its executive director in January 2007. The Union Square Partnership provides a free public Wi-Fi network in Union Square. The Washington Irving Campus at 40 Irving Place between East 16th and 17th Streets, a block east of Union Square Park, was formerly the location of a comprehensive high school, but now houses Gramercy Arts High School,
11880-402: Was modeled by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and dedicated in 1876, the 100th anniversary of U.S. independence. The statue of Abraham Lincoln , modeled by Henry Kirke Brown (1870), is located near the north end of the park. A statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the southwest corner of the park was added in 1986. The Union Square Drinking Fountain (1881) near Union Square West, also known as
11990-473: Was restricted in Lower Manhattan below 14th Street. In March 2008, an eighteen-month renovation began on the northern end of the park. The renovation was controversial because of disagreements over whether to place a restaurant in the pavilion at the north end of the park. A New York Supreme Court judge approved the renovation of the park's north end in April 2008 but placed an injunction temporarily banning
12100-551: Was shortly removed after to be used as a patriotic fundraiser by being auctioned across the country repeatedly. In the summer of 1864 the north side of the square was the site of the Metropolitan Fair . Union Square has been a frequent gathering point for radicals of all stripes to make speeches or demonstrate. In 1865, the recently formed Irish republican Fenian Brotherhood came out publicly and rented Dr. John Moffat's brownstone rowhouse at 32 East 17th Street, next to
#482517