in New York City

Faces of the Force: A Candid Look at the Daily Life of New York Police Officers in the 1970s Through Photos

New York City police officers in the 1970s faced a daily life filled with challenges. The city itself was struggling with money problems and high crime rates, and this directly shaped what it was like to wear a badge. Every day brought officers into contact with the city’s difficulties.

A big part of daily life was responding to calls for help. The 911 system sent officers to emergencies across the city. This meant their work was often about reacting to crimes and incidents after they happened. They moved from one call to the next, dealing with the results of break-ins, assaults, and other criminal activity. It was a fast-paced and demanding way to police.

Patrolling the streets was different depending on the neighborhood. Some areas saw a lot more crime than others. Officers in these parts of the city were constantly on alert. They encountered dangerous situations regularly. They dealt with a high volume of cases involving theft, violence, and issues related to illegal drugs. The environment could be unpredictable and risky.

The city’s financial troubles directly impacted the resources available to officers each day. Fewer officers were on the force due to budget cuts. This meant the remaining officers often felt stretched thin, having to cover larger areas and handle more calls than before. They worked with the equipment they had, navigating the city’s streets and buildings.

Read more

Interacting with the public was a constant part of the job, happening in a high-crime atmosphere. Officers dealt with people who were victims of crime, witnesses to incidents, and individuals involved in criminal activity. Each interaction required officers to assess the situation and decide on the best course of action, all while working in a tense environment.

Seeing the effects of crime was a daily reality. Officers responded to crime scenes, took reports, and dealt with the aftermath of violent acts. They witnessed the impact of the city’s problems firsthand, from property damage to the distress of victims. This constant exposure to difficult situations was a significant part of their daily experience.

#1 Police officer playing with children in Harlem, 1978.

Police officer playing with children in Harlem, 1978.

2 Points
Upvote Downvote

#3 Investigators from the 9th Precinct with Lieutenant Edward Manetho, 1978.

Investigators from the 9th Precinct with Lieutenant Edward Manetho, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#4 The police are trying to help an addict who has overdosed, 1978.

The police are trying to help an addict who has overdosed, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#5 The police intervened when a family quarrel escalated into a fight, 1978.

The police intervened when a family quarrel escalated into a fight, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#6 A small drug dealer shows one of his scars from multiple stab wounds, 1978.

A small drug dealer shows one of his scars from multiple stab wounds, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#7 The district shows traces of drug dealers’ stab wounds; police walk around with two guns, 1978.

The district shows traces of drug dealers' stab wounds; police walk around with two guns, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#8 The Bowery in the Lower East Side is full of drug addicts, alcoholics, and drug dealers; police make regular rounds, 1978.

The Bowery in the Lower East Side is full of drug addicts, alcoholics, and drug dealers; police make regular rounds, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#9 An officer worried about his family’s safety while he works at night, 1978.

An officer worried about his family's safety while he works at night, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#10 A police officer on a roof oversees drug dealers trying to sell drugs to schoolchildren, 1972.

A police officer on a roof oversees drug dealers trying to sell drugs to schoolchildren, 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#11 A man died in a hotel room from substandard drugs; he was an informant, 1972.

A man died in a hotel room from substandard drugs; he was an informant, 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#12 “If I had to, I could have shot,” said one policeman, 1972.

"If I had to, I could have shot," said one policeman, 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#13 Department photo identification at police headquarters in New York, 1975.

Department photo identification at police headquarters in New York, 1975.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#14 Two officers check a suspicious car with their hands on their revolver handles, 1978.

Two officers check a suspicious car with their hands on their revolver handles, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#15 The funeral of a police officer killed on duty, 1979.

The funeral of a police officer killed on duty, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#18 Residents accused Chelsea staff of the 10th section of ill-treatment of detainees, 1979.

Residents accused Chelsea staff of the 10th section of ill-treatment of detainees, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#21 Toilet clogged with gelatin capsules and syringes, 1979.

Toilet clogged with gelatin capsules and syringes, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#22 Police raided an apartment and found a large quantity of drugs, 1979.

Police raided an apartment and found a large quantity of drugs, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#24 Murder in the store; the saleswoman was killed for a few dollars, 1972.

Murder in the store; the saleswoman was killed for a few dollars, 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#26 Police and ambulance arrive at the scene of a street fight; a man lies unconscious, 1979.

Police and ambulance arrive at the scene of a street fight; a man lies unconscious, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#27 A man’s body on the sidewalk with a note asking to call the police, 1979.

A man's body on the sidewalk with a note asking to call the police, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#28 Curator of the Museum of the New York Police holds an artifact of the Romantic era gangster wars, 1979.

Curator of the Museum of the New York Police holds an artifact of the Romantic era gangster wars, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#31 Homicide investigators show photos of suspects to residents, 1972.

Homicide investigators show photos of suspects to residents, 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#32 “This is a real carousel,” said a police officer about arresting prostitutes, 1972.

"This is a real carousel," said a police officer about arresting prostitutes, 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#33 An underground passage from the prison to the courthouse, 1972.

An underground passage from the prison to the courthouse, 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#34 A patient with a drug overdose in the hospital waiting room, 1972.

A patient with a drug overdose in the hospital waiting room, 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#36 The police checked an abandoned building and found a body inside, 1972.

The police checked an abandoned building and found a body inside, 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#42 Detectives remove fingerprints from the body in the morgue, 1972.

Detectives remove fingerprints from the body in the morgue, 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#43 Employees work around the clock over the murder of two policemen, 1972.

Employees work around the clock over the murder of two policemen, 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#44 Mounted police raise a fallen man in the street, 1972.

Mounted police raise a fallen man in the street, 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#45 Officer Steve Kreychi wears a bulletproof vest before patrol, 1978.

Officer Steve Kreychi wears a bulletproof vest before patrol, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#46 A boy came to the police station and said he was left home alone, 1972.

A boy came to the police station and said he was left home alone, 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#48 “I was returning home after drinking and vomited,” 1972.

"I was returning home after drinking and vomited," 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#49 Much of the work of the patrol is to just stand and watch, 1978.

Much of the work of the patrol is to just stand and watch, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#50 Fashionistas look like tough guys, but in reality gruel and namby-pamby, 1978.

Fashionistas look like tough guys, but in reality gruel and namby-pamby, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#51 Thief caught breaking the shop wall asking him to return his tools, 1978.

Thief caught breaking the shop wall asking him to return his tools, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#52 A girl was raped by her boyfriend’s friends while he watched, 1978.

A girl was raped by her boyfriend's friends while he watched, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#54 Officers find a family at the dinner table instead of armed men, 1978.

Officers find a family at the dinner table instead of armed men, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#56 “None of the beautiful girl in my area,” 1978.

"None of the beautiful girl in my area," 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#60 Volunteers from the auxiliary police are instructed in the basement of the police station, 1979.

Volunteers from the auxiliary police are instructed in the basement of the police station, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#61 A young man says a police officer as he crashed the car, 1979.

A young man says a police officer as he crashed the car, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#62 A police officer on duty near the set of the film, 1979.

A police officer on duty near the set of the film, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#63 A protester refused to leave the roadway and was taken away by force, 1979.

A protester refused to leave the roadway and was taken away by force, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#66 The funeral of a police officer who was killed on duty, 1979.

The funeral of a police officer who was killed on duty, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#68 The funeral of a police officer who was killed on duty, 1979.

The funeral of a police officer who was killed on duty, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#69 The funeral of a police officer who was killed on duty, 1979.

The funeral of a police officer who was killed on duty, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#70 Detective is an inventory of confiscated guns in the raid, 1979.

Detective is an inventory of confiscated guns in the raid, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#71 Children play in a police car on one of the hottest days of July, 1979.

Children play in a police car on one of the hottest days of July, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#72 Police rushed on call and grabbed the teenager suspected of robbing a supermarket, 1979.

Police rushed on call and grabbed the teenager suspected of robbing a supermarket, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#75 The officer shoots a gun with an ankle before school in the gym, 1979.

The officer shoots a gun with an ankle before school in the gym, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#77 Addict searched an abandoned building on the stairs, 1979.

Addict searched an abandoned building on the stairs, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#79 Reid in shooting galleries; at the local slang, it is called a “shooting gallery”, 1979.

Reid in shooting galleries; at the local slang, it is called a "shooting gallery", 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#80 Policeman artist paints a portrait of the suspect, 1979.

Policeman artist paints a portrait of the suspect, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#81 Abandoned building in which the shooting galleries, 1979.

Abandoned building in which the shooting galleries, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#84 Police officers during a visit to a countercultural clothing boutique, 1979.

Police officers during a visit to a countercultural clothing boutique, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#86 No. 979. Police at the time of the visit of a foreign security official, 1979.

No. 979. Police at the time of the visit of a foreign security official, 1979.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#88 A police officer checks if the man was bad or just drunk, 1978.

A police officer checks if the man was bad or just drunk, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#89 The man was found lying in the street and taken to hospital, 1978.

The man was found lying in the street and taken to hospital, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#90 The detainee and the officer looked at each other in a police station, 1978.

The detainee and the officer looked at each other in a police station, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#95 Teenage girls run away from their parents and are imbued with the smell of the city, 1972.

Teenage girls run away from their parents and are imbued with the smell of the city, 1972.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#98 A police officer waits in the hospital waiting room for information on a leg wound victim, 1978.

A police officer waits in the hospital waiting room for information on a leg wound victim, 1978.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

Written by Henry Parker

Content writer, SEO analyst and Marketer. You cannot find me playing any outdoor sports, but I waste my precious time playing Video Games..

Leave a Reply

Comment using name and email. Or Register an account

GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings