The NYPD Organized Crime Control Bureau (NYPD OCCB) is one of the ten bureaus that form the New York Police Department. The Bureau is charged with the investigation and prevention of organized crime within New York City. This is mainly done through standard police investigation and the use of confidential informants.
The Organized Crime Control Bureau is headed by Bureau Chief Anthony Izzo.
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Formed after the Knapp Commission investigations into police corruption, all investigations within the bureau are conducted by specially structured teams, in an effort to reduce the chance of corruption.
Following the 2008 Mumbai attacks, officers from the OCCB were trained in the use of Ruger Mini-14s to provide support to the Emergency Service Unit in case of a similar situation arising in New York City. [1]
The Organized Crime Control Bureau has numerous units and sub-units that investigate matters such as organized auto larceny rings, unlawful firearms, and prostitution. It is involved in using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to search and destroy organized criminal activities and seize property and vehicles. The Organized Crime Control Bureau utilizes undercover police officers to infiltrate various criminal organizations. The Organized Crime Control Bureau has been effective against the Italian Mafia, "the westies" of the Irish mob, Chinese Mafia, East German Mafia, and Russian Mafia organized criminal elements. The Organized Crime Control Bureau's Joint Organized Crime Task Force works in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's New York Field Division (the largest FBI office in the US).