New York City Transit Police
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Established in 1935, the New York City Transit Police Department was responsible for the protection of New York City Subway lines for 60 years. It was made famous in several films including The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and Money Train. In 1949 the department was officially divorced from the New York City Police Department, but was eventually fully re-integrated in 1995 as the Transit Bureau of the New York City Police Department by New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. It is now largely incorporated into the New York City Police Department's Transportation Bureau. Headquarters for the NYPD Transit Bureau are located at 370 Jay Street in Brooklyn Heights.
One task of the Transit Police was its defense of the subway system from defacement. Graffiti was very prominent throughout the subway system by the mid-1980s and the city government took a hard line in response, though some saw it instead as a "social trend" and a sign of diversity. The Transit Police, and specifically a new unit called the Vandal Squad began to fine and arrest those painting graffiti. They also made a policy to remove any work of graffiti within 24 hours of its creation.
By the end of the '80s the Transit Police had effectively solved the problem of graffiti in the subway system. To this day the Vandal Squad exists to prevent "the look of disorder" from over-running the city.
In November 2006, the NYPD Transit Bureau deployed the first K-9 troops devoted exclusively to the subways of New York City. Four German shepherds began work, with five more expected by mid-December. The unit is expected to grow to 27, bringing the total number of NYPD K-9s to 61, making it the largest K-9 unit in the country.
