NYPD Traffic Control Division Bureau

 police station, interesting place, traffic police, historic landmark, historical building

5-story Medieval-Revival style police station completed in 1907 as the 23rd Police Precinct Station House. Designed by R. Thomas Short (of the firm of Harde & Short), this station served the Tenderloin section of midtown Manhattan that was previously part of the 19th Precinct, one of the city's busiest. The police had occupied a smaller station house across the street since 1869. The unusual style of the building, more commonly associated with armories, resulted from police commissioner William McAdoo's desire for a building that forcefully asserted the authority of the police.

The building has a prominent base of light grey rusticated granite arranged as four simulated rounded towers, and the base is capped by a bold cornice and crenellated parapet with the City seal in the center (a flagpole has been placed above the seal). The central round-arched automobile entrance has an arched tile vault by Guastavino Fireproof Construction Co., and is flanked on each side by granite facing and granite steps leading to wood and glass doors with sidelights (the west wall also has a small window). The recessed arched doorway, leading to the central interior courtyard area beyond, has large, original double wooden doors with elaborate decorative metal hinges. Original sconces flanking this entranceway have been replaced with smaller metal sconces of Gothic design. One-story arched gateways capped with crenelation flank the facade. That on the east leads to the station's pedestrian entrance, through a small outer court (paved with concrete); a hanging bracketed metal sign above the arch identifies the building as the "Traffic Control Division."

The upper three floors, faced in buff ironspot Roman brick, terminate in a bold bracketed cornice and crenellated roof parapet. The rectangular windows have transoms above. The second story has a central segmental-arched and recessed balcony. There are four arched openings (two in the balcony, and one at each end) that retain their historic wood and glass doors. The upper story is flanked by large corbels at each end.

The side walls are faced in red brick and have fenestration with replacement sash; the west wall has a fire escape that descends from the top to a basement level.

The building has remained in continuous use by the Police Department as a NYC landmark, and now serves the Traffic Control Division. The NYPD Transportation Bureau is one of the ten bureaus that comprise the New York City Police Department. The Transportation Bureau's responsibilities include parking enforcement, traffic management, and highway safety. The Transportation Bureau also included the Transit Division from 1997 to 1999. That division was upgraded to bureau status, as it once had from 1995 to 1997 and again in 1999. Units within the New York City Police Department Transportation Bureau include the: Highway Patrol, Highway District, Highway Unit 1 (Bronx), Highway Unit 2 (Brooklyn), Highway Unit 3 (Queens), Highway Unit 4 (Manhattan), Highway Unit 5 (Staten Island), Accident Investigation Squad, Driver Training Unit, Motor Carrier Safety Unit, Traffic Information Center, Traffic Stat Unit, Traffic Operations District, Operations/Special Events Unit, Manhattan Traffic Task Force, Movie & TV Unit, and Traffic Enforcement District.