Gotham City Police Department

{{DC Database:Team Template
 * Image                  = GCPD 01.jpg
 * OfficialName           = Gotham City Police Department
 * Aliases                = GCPD, Gotham's Finest, Blue Boys


 * Status                 = Active
 * Identity               = Public
 * Universe               = Earth-Two; Earth-One; New Earth; Prime Earth
 * BaseOfOperations       = Gotham City, Police Headquarters

The Birds of Prey
 * TeamLeaders            = Commissioner James Gordon formerly Peter Pauling formerly Gillian B. Loeb
 * CurrentMembers         = Melody McKenna, Josh Azeveda, Jason Bard, Joely Bartlett, Mackenzie Bock, Harvey Bullock, Thomas Burke, Romy Chandler, Eric Cohen, David Cornwell, Nelson Crowe, Jackson Davies, Vincent Del Arrazio, Marcus Driver, Nora Fields, Trey Hartley, Jerry Hennelly, Andi Kasinsky, William Kenzie, Josephine MacDonald, Rebecca Mulcahey, Donald Peak, Dagmar Procjnow, Clem Robins, Maggie Sawyer
 * FormerMembers          = Michael Akins, Crispus Allen, Jim Corrigan, Roger DeCarlo, Sarah Essen Gordon, Clancy O'Hara, Charlie Fields, Arnold Flass, Clarence Foley, Hugh Foley, Petey Grogan, Andrew Howe, Andrew Kelly, David King, Stan Kitch, Nicky Lincoln, Gillian B. Loeb (former Commissioner), Stan Merkel, Renée Montoya, Timothy Munroe, Nathan Patton (New Earth), Peter Pauling (former Commissioner), Billy Pettit, Ronald Probson, Jordan Rich, Deborah Tiegel, Vane (former Commissioner)
 * Allies                 = The Batman Family,
 * Enemies                = Anarky, Bane, Black Mask, Blockbuster (Mark Desmond), Blockbuster (Roland Desmond), Calculator, Calendar Man, Catman, Catwoman, Cavalier, Clayface (Basil Karlo), Clayface (Clay Payne), Clayface (Matt Hagen), Clayface (Preston Payne), Clayface (Sondra Fuller), Cluemaster, Deadshot, Doctor Double X, Doctor Phosphorous, Electrocutioner, False Face, Film Freak, Firebug, Firefly, Hugo Strange, Hush, Joker, KGBeast, Killer Moth, King Snake, Kite-Man, Lady Shiva, Lockdown, Mad Hatter, Man-Bat, Maxie Zeus, Mister Freeze, Mister Zsasz, Nocturna, Penguin, Poison Ivy, Professor Milo, Red Hood (Jason Todd), Riddler, Rupert Thorne, Scarecrow, Signalman, Silver Monkey, Talia Head, Terrible Trio, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Two-Face


 * Origin                 =
 * PlaceOfFormation       = Gotham City
 * PlaceOfDefunction      =
 * Creators               = Bill Finger; Bob Kane
 * First                  = Detective Comics #27
 * Last                   =


 * Quotation              = Son, we are the Gotham City Police Department. What do we do when we come face-to-face will hell on Earth? We get to work.
 * Speaker                = James Gordon
 * QuoteSource            = Batman Eternal Vol 1 50

The GCPD has long been steeped in corruption, with numerous officers both high-and-low ranking involved in crimes ranging from bribery to drug-trafficking and murder. The strongest blow against police corruption came when an increasing amount of conspiracy charges against Commissioner  Gillian B. Loeb forced him to resign his position. The Falcone crime family, which had had a stranglehold on Gotham's underground for generations, finally crumbled when a series of killings shook the structure of the mafia organization. After the death of Carmine Falcone, the mob lashed out in sloppy, retaliatory crimes, which, in combination with rising gang violence, severely crippled organized crime in Gotham City. Simultaneously, the ebbing presence of corrupt police officers allowed James Gordon, a man determined to eradicate crime wherever it existed, to become the new commissioner.
 * HistoryText            =

The GCPD has had a long love-hate relationship with the Batman. Commissioner Gordon went along with him because he got the job done, but his successor, Michael Akins wasn't as tolerant. During the gang war that broke out in Gotham, Batman took control of the airwaves in the entire city and recruited the GCPD officers, giving them orders to get the situation under control. The GCPD followed Batman's instructions but his plan failed due to Black Mask's intervention, causing several members of the police force to be injured and killed. Follwing this events, Commissioner Akins gave instructions to eliminate every criminal and vigilante on the streets using deadly force and one of the first vigilantes to be attacked by the police was Tarantula. Some members of the police cornered Tarantula and her gang in an abandoned building and attacked her with all their strenght. Wanting to get some results, Commissioner Akins sent the entire police department to capture her. However, Batman rescued Tarantula and her gang and left the GCPD empty handed. Akins gave the order to arrest every vigilante on the streets, but the officers present at the Gotham Clock Tower during the final battle, made a truce with the vigilantes and allowed them to eliminate the menace of Scarebeast. After this, Commissioner Akins ordered Batman's arrest and had the Bat-signal removed from the roof of Police Headquarters. Corruption and rot within the police department also rose during Akins' tenure as Commissioner.

As of the events of One Year Later, James Gordon has been reinstated as Commissioner, with Harvey Bullock back on the force. Harvey came back on disciplinary probation after helping expose a criminal drug ring. Relations with Batman, including the Bat-Signal, have been established once more. It is unknown what has happened to Commissioner Akins, but it is implied that, following revelations of massive corruption within the department, including himself, there has been a drastic cleaning-of-house. Kate Kane referred to Akins as police commissioner for at least some points throughout the lost year. Later in 52, however, a brief snapshot of Commissioner Gordon's welcome back party was also seen. The circumstances of Akins's departure and Gordon's reinstatement haven't been fully explained. Maggie Sawyer is still the commander of the MCU department, and has ended her relationship with former lover Toby Raines.

DCnU
After the events of Flashpoint, the GCPD seems to have returned to an antagonistic relationship with Batman. For a time, officers were ordered to shoot on sight if they saw him. After the formation of the Justice League, however, Batman is tolerated by the police and is no longer deemed a threat by City Hall.

Recommended Reading

 * Batman: Bullock's Law
 * Batman: GCPD
 * Batman: Gordon's Law
 * Batman: Officer Down
 * Catwoman: Disguises
 * Gotham Central

Related Articles

 * GCPD members
 * Police Officers


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 * Notes                  =
 * The Gotham City Police Department has over thirty thousand officers on its payroll at any given moment, with several thousands more in support roles.
 * Trivia                 =
 * Links                  =