During the detention of New York City Comptroller Brad Lander by ICE, a member of Lander's NYPD security detail accompanied him. This event highlights the role of the NYPD in providing security details in politically charged situations without overtly endorsing authoritarian policies.

On June 10, 2025, NYPD officers aggressively arrested dozens of protesters opposing the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Lower Manhattan. The confrontation involved forceful crowd control tactics and a prolonged standoff, with leadership figures displaying political alignments that raised concerns about authoritarian policing.

The 2024 audit and subsequent reports reveal that the NYPD has repeatedly failed to comply with the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology Act, including avoiding testimony at city council hearings, withholding critical details about surveillance tools, and undermining independent oversight.

The NYPD has ramped up its social media efforts by producing and disseminating provocative content aimed at countering perceived misinformation and targeting judicial figures and critics. The tactic, which includes inflammatory messaging by police leaders, is seen as an effort to influence public opinion and policy.

At a recent hearing, the NYPD was criticized for its adherence to city technology procurement guidelines and its failure to comply with a municipal surveillance transparency law. The department used generic, boilerplate language in its impact and use plans for advanced surveillance tools such as robotic dogs and autonomous security robots, raising concerns about privacy, inequity, and potential abuse of surveillance technology.

A federal monitor's report criticized the NYPD's Community Response Team for conducting aggressive, unconstitutional stops and frisks that disproportionately target Black and Hispanic men. The report, based on body-worn camera footage and prior audits, highlighted that nearly half of the stops were unlawful and raised serious concerns about accountability and transparency, as well as questionable political engagement from city leadership.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with The Legal Aid Society and NYCLU, announced a comprehensive agreement that reforms NYPD's protest policing practices. The settlement mandates a tiered response system, de-escalation techniques, prohibition on kettling, and the creation of an oversight mechanism including a new senior executive role.

The report details a fatal encounter in which CRT officer Raymond Perez swerved into oncoming traffic and struck motorcyclist Samuel Williams, raising severe concerns about reckless policing practices, lack of accountability, and a culture that tolerates excessive use of force.

Reporting by ProPublica reveals that Mayor Eric Adams has persistently backed the secretive NYPD Community Response Team (CRT) despite internal warnings and external concerns about aggressive and unaccountable policing, raising questions about political favoritism and authoritarian practices within the department.