The NYPD opened a new $5.8 million Special Victims Unit facility in the Bronx, aiming to enhance sexual assault investigations and provide a trauma-informed environment for survivors. The facility, located at 188 West 230th Street in Kingsbridge, brings together multiple agencies, including the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, Safe Horizon, the Bronx Adult Special Victims Squad, and the Special Victims Major Case squad, to foster collaboration in handling sensitive cases.
The state-of-the-art building replaces the former Bronx SVU office, once nicknamed “Fort Apache” for its high crime rate. Officials emphasized that the previous facility was not designed for the sensitive nature of the unit’s work. The new facility features trauma-informed interview rooms, a child-friendly area, a lactating room, and a stress reduction space, prioritizing the comfort and well-being of sexual assault survivors.
“For decades, the Bronx Special Victims Unit operated out of the old apache. That building carries a long history in the New York City police, but it was never designed for the deeply sensitive work that was done by our team,” First Deputy Commissioner Tania Kinsella said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Our Special Victims Detectives are the best in the world at what they do. But even the greatest investigators need the right tools and the right environment to deliver justice to survivors. This new facility ensures they will have exactly that.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch added, “It is a place designed to give survivors privacy and to bring everyone involved in these cases together in one setting. This is what 21st-century policing looks like – and what it means to build a survivor-focused NYPD.”
The Bronx District Attorney, Darcel Clark, described the facility as “a symbol of compassion,” emphasizing that victims will find a calm, trauma-focused space where they can recount their experiences. The opening coincides with a rise in sexual assault cases, with the Bronx reporting 448 incidents in 2025, a 32% increase from 2024, while citywide reports rose 18% to 1,626 incidents. The NYPD Special Victims Unit investigated approximately 1,300 cases involving victims 13 and older this year.
