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One Police Plaza
Detective First Grade Abigail Baker
- Played by Abigail Hawk
Frank's executive assistant, head of the Police Commissioner's Detective Squad.
- Badass Bureaucrat: Her day job is Frank’s secretary/receptionist/personal assistant. She’s also a detective at least on par with Danny in investigative skill and effectiveness, but is much better at subtlety. Where Danny is a bull in a china shop (albeit a highly effective one), nobody will see Baker coming until she’s came, went, and filed her paperwork. Which is why her most important job is looking into things on Frank’s behalf.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Baker is generally a quiet, efficient and demure personal assistant, who deftly manages Frank's schedule. She is also an NYPD detective, and whenever Frank needs dirt dug up, she delivers. And she is absolute hell on wheels when she decides to put her foot down on something.
- A Day in the Limelight: "Manhattan Queens" kinda becomes one for her, since the Frank subplot is about dealing with someone trying to humiliate the NYPD while a summit of police chiefs is in the city. The person doing it is a Suffolk County deputy chief who's been stalking Baker for years.
- Deadpan Snarker: A jerk from a neighboring police department on Long Island is being extremely rude during her presentation at a police symposium...and she calmly shuts him up with a quick one-liner.
- Girl Friday
- Hypercompetent Sidekick: Although Frank is an excellent cop himself, sometimes his high-profile status as Police Commissioner prevents him from being able to handle something discreetly. In such situations, he will delegate to Detective Baker, who never fails to deliver.
- It Runs in the Family: Her father and godfather were NYPD officers, likely other members of her family as well. Her husband is also a patrol cop.
- Office Lady: Much of her role — until Frank needs a quiet investigation, at which the viewers are reminded that Baker is not just an office lady, she's also a detective.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: She puts on such an act in "Meet the New Boss" when Frank needs to investigate a complaint filed against a detective in the Special Victims Unit.
- Undying Loyalty: To Frank, as seen when the new mayor tries to fire him.
Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Garrett Moore
- Played by Gregory Jbara
Frank's de-facto chief of staff. A former reporter who now works as the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information and Frank's liaison to the press.
- Brutal Honesty: Frank often doesn't like to hear it, but Garrett will give him his honest opinion no matter what. This is exactly why Frank trusts him.
- The Consigliere: As Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.
- Defeat Means Friendship: He once worked for Frank's political opponent, who was also trying to be commissioner.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: On the occasion when Frank tends to ignore his advice —- which is often. It got to the point where he seriously considered getting a new job.
- Honest Advisor: His main job is to be this for Frank no matter how much they disagree.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Garrett frequently butts heads with Sid Gormley, though they do respect each other. On the rare occasion that they are on the same page in their advice to Frank, note is taken.
- Papa Wolf: He spends most of "In the Box" trying to get his stepson out of trouble.
- Parents as People: He even lampshades it.Garrett: (to Frank) I have a blind spot where Sam is concerned. And a whole lot of coulda, woulda, shoulda's. And I'm left with a deeply flawed way of showing him love, but it's what I know.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: In "In the Box," his stepson Sam is arrested by the 35th Precinct for buying oxycodone during a sting operation. Garrett goes to Frank seeking to have Sam released into his custody. However, Frank is suspicious and has Baker look into the matter, uncovering that Garrett has used the pull of 1PP on several prior occasions to keep Sam out of jail. Frank calls Garrett out on this to point out that this is enabling Sam's drug habit, not helping him.
- Slave to PR: To be fair, this is his job. He's the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information, and he often has to give Frank advice that is sometimes frustrating, but in the end this is exactly why Frank trusts him so much: He's loyal, but he's not a yes-man, and will often remind Frank of how certain statements or actions will look to the general public outside the bubble of Frank's office.
- The Team Normal: Unlike Gormley or Baker, he's not a police officer, so he tends to see things from the point of view of the average civilian and not the experienced beat cop with sometimes means friction with his colleagues.
- Vitriolic Best Buds:
- With Frank. The two spend most of their time disagreeing, but there is a great amount of respect between the two of them, and Frank respects Garrett's advice.
- He sometimes clashes with Gormley, too. When the chips are down, however, they are more than capable of standing together to support and advise Frank through particularly difficult PR cases.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Frequently delivers these to Frank. Has also occasionally been on the receiving end when Frank thought he was out of line. Garrett himself delivers a rather eloquent one to Henry when one of Henry's statements lands Frank in hot water.
- With Great Power Comes Great Perks: A mild example. As the NYPD's public face, Garrett constantly deals with New York's movers and shakers to spin the department's public image, arranging celebrities or athletes to come out for fundraisers, pushing for friendly news articles, and so on, while putting police resources out there in return. As a side effect of anyone wanting to get in on the department's good side having to go through him, Garrett finds himself with ball game tickets, backstage passes, special invites, and other perks. He's never gone out of his way to ask for them and adamantly defends himself to Frank that he's never let the prospect of getting something extra sway him in his duties. People whom he wants to have access in exchange for benefiting the police come to him for that access, and in his experience as a PR consultant (in the police and out), slipping things back and forth under the table helps move things along. But when an article is due to be released about it with the spin that it looks as though he is taking bribes, Frank tells him that anyone working for Caesar must be above reproach and to avoid the appearance of impropriety, Garrett pays back out of his own pocket for all the perks he's collected.
Lieutenant Sidney Gormley
- Played by Robert Clohessy
Gormley is a member of Frank's staff, and is the Special Assistant to the Commissioner, wherein he functions as the liaison between Frank and the sworn officers in the department. He previously served as Danny's supervisor and head of the 54th Precinct Detective Squad for the first four seasons, and was tapped by Frank to be the representative of the rank-and-file as a replacement for Dino Arbogast, after Dino's resignation in the wake of the prostitution blackmail scandal.
- Book Dumb: He grumbles in "Excessive Force" during his precinct's COMPSTATS audit that he liked it better before it was common for the department's rank-and-file to have degrees in criminology and tactics. Frank politely, but firmly, calls him out for this attitude.
- Character Tics: According to Danny in "Secret Arrangements", Gormley runs his fingers through his tie when he's lying.
- Da Chief: He acts in this role towards Danny, far more than his father does.
- A Father to His Men: Fervently stands up for colleagues of his who get into hot water.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Gormley is a tough but fair boss. In "Road to Hell," though, when Nicky and her friends got caught for drug possession, he coached her into getting a confession from the friend who possessed the drugs.
- Non-Promotion: Gormley's candor and concern for the well-being of the rank-and-file cops leads Frank to promote him as Dino Arbogast's replacement as Frank's liaison to the regular cops. However, under NYPD regulations, the Chief of Department is required to be at least a captain. Frank instead invents a new position exclusively for Gormley, "Special Assistant to the Commissioner," which give him the duties and authority of the Chief of Department, although not the rank and privileges that go with it. While Gormley is promoted later on to Lieutenant, the trope is mostly still in effect, particularly whenever Gormley has to interface with senior police officers who technically outrank him.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Sid frequently butts heads with Garrett Moore, though they do respect each other. On the rare occasion that they are on the same page in their advice to Frank, note is taken.
- Rank Up: Initially a sergeant, he's nearing retirement when Frank names him Special Assistant to the Commissioner (a title they invented just for Gormley, because as a sergeant he's too low-ranked to be Chief of Department, who must be at least a Captain or higher) in "Excessive Force". He gets promoted to lieutenant six episodes later in "Sins of the Father".
- Reassigned to Antarctica: What he originally thought was going to happened to him after he shot off his mouth to Frank at a COMPSTATS meeting. He even told Danny that he believed he was being sent to Siberia. Though it turns out Frank was giving him a promotion.
- What the Hell, Hero?: When a former partner of his is accused of excessive force in the death of a crazed man in the streets, Gormley rightfully chews out Frank for not standing up for the officer. It later happens when he gives similar remarks in a COMPSTATS meeting concerning the reputations of his own men, as the meeting happens while Danny is under investigation for a (false) excessive force complaint.
Dino Arbogast
- Played by John Ventimiglia
The former chief of the Organized Crime Control Bureau (OCCB). He's later promoted to Chief of Department after the retirement of the previous occupant of that position but is forced to resign in the season 4 finale after he's implicated in a corruption scheme.
- Burn Baby Burn: After being forced to resign in disgrace over the prostitution scandal, Dino is shown burning his uniform in his backyard
- Da Chief: First functions as the chief of OCCB, functioning as the guy that Jamie answers to during his occasional infiltrations into the Sanfino crime family. In season 4, Dino is promoted to Chief of Department (the highest-ranking sworn officer).
- Dirty Cop: His downfall comes when it's discovered that he was one of the several high-ranking officials caught up in DA Amanda Harris's blackmail scheme. Not only that, but Dino attempted to have Danny benched in an effort to cover his tracks.
- Dirty Old Man: He's caught on video committing lewd acts with an escort hired by a recently deceased brothel madam, and was blackmailed into silence by Amanda Harris.
54th Precinct
Detective Jackie Curatola
- Played by Jennifer Esposito
Danny's first partner in seasons 1 and 2.
- Action Girl: Doesn't hesitate to lay a smackdown on the perp.
- Action Mom: "The Job" reveals that Jackie is a mother, the exact number is unknown.
- Actor Allusion: Her actress has played in cop roles before.
- Amicable Exes: The rare times Jackie has mentioned her ex-husband, it's in a bad light, so they either are an averted or downplayed example of this trope.
- And Starring: The Title Sequence is reserved for Reagans.
- Berserk Button: Watch an abusive boyfriend ask Jackie if she "likes it". Watch Jackie use the abusive boyfriend's face to clean the interrogation room table.Danny: Not so fun when they fight back, huh?
- Blue Oni: To Danny.
- The Conscience: As the more even tempered one she sometimes ends up keeping a lid on Danny's anger.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Implied. Jackie mentions in "Domestic Disturbance" that she witnessed her father physically abuse her mother.
- Deadpan Snarker: When a criminal is disrespectful to her, Jackie often snarks right back at them.
- Dirty Cop: Zigzagged. Like Danny, she's not the typical example of this trope but she has no problem with police brutality, as she doesn't stop Danny from committing such acts.
- Even the Girls Want Her: A woman blatantly hits on Jackie in "After Hours".
- Mama Bear: "The Job" confirms that she is one, when she and Danny investigate an attempted killing on a convicted criminal living in a halfway house. She even lampshades this:Jackie: (to Danny) I got to tell you, Reagan, I got kids, and they put murderers and molesters next door to me? I'd be right out there with them.
- Noble Bigot with a Badge: "Hall of Mirrors" shows that while Jackie doesn't hate anyone of Middle Eastern descent, she does hold some stereotypical views on them.
- The Power of Trust: Linda doesn't even seem to blink an eye at Jackie being partner with Danny. In fact, a couple exchanges when she visits the Reagan house indicate they're friends (including giggling over the outfit Jackie wears once while undercover as a prostitute to catch a Serial Killer).
- Put on a Bus: Jennifer Esposito was diagnosed with Coeliac disease
and actually collapsed on set at one point. She was forced to bow out of the series a third of the way into season 3.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: She doesn't appreciate men who cheat and/or who are abusive, and will date men who don't qualify as either.
- Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Only shown on one or two episodes. Once when her room is used as a safehouse for a witness, Danny is surprised by its femininity.
- Undying Loyalty: She will back Danny even in somewhat murky situations.
- We Used to Be Friends: Jackie and her high school friend, Anna, ended up on opposite sides of the law.
Detective First Grade Maria Baez
- Played by Marisa Ramirez
Danny's replacement partner starting episode 17 of season 3 (his third overall, he has another one played by Megan Boone for a few episodes in the same season).
- Action Girl: She's a female cop, so this naturally comes with the territory.
- Big Brother Worship: Maria painfully remembers how she used to look up to Javi when they were kids, and he used to protect her from bullies. Nowadays, he's a recovering drug addict with a criminal history, while she's a police detective: the roles have reversed.
- Fair Cop: Invoked in the season six premiere "Worst Case Scenario", where Baez plays up her good looks to pull a Distracted by the Sexy on some terrorism suspects. It works like a charm, up to and including a Wolf Whistle.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The responsible sibling to her older brother Javi, who grew up to be the foolish one.
- Promotion to Parent: In the season 12 finale, she adopts a 3-month-old orphan, when her parents died during a case.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: For Jackie, at first. Both of them are savvy Latina detectives from rough backgrounds. She eventually gains Character Development.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Baez functions as the one to call Danny out on his behavior if she thinks he's crossing the line, such as some remarks he makes about Muslims in a Post-9/11 Terrorism Episode.
12th Precinct
Sgt. Anthony Renzulli
- Played by Nicholas Turturro
Jamie's training officer and partner through season 2. Took public credit for a rescue performed by Jamie in order to keep the latter's face out of the press for the benefit of the Sanfino undercover operation.
- Big Brother Mentor: To Jamie. Though Frank didn’t pull any strings for it, he approves, as Renzulli is a tough, smart, skilled, and—most importantly—honest police officer.
- Book Dumb: Renzulli isn't really a book-smart person. He's still a more experienced cop than Jamie.
- Demoted to Extra: In Season 3, he moves out from a patrol car to running the patrolmen of the 12th Precinct. He doesn't show up as often as the first two seasons now, though this is arguably to accentuate the fact that his former protege Jamie is now coming into his own as a mature policeman with a newbie partner of his own to train.
- Donut Mess with a Cop: Likely donuts. At least it sure is something.
- Old Cop, Young Cop: To Jamie. He is the old one.
- Plucky Comic Relief: In Season 1.
- Real Men Cook: Cooks a special Valentine's Day dinner for his wife, using a recipe his mom taught him.
- Secret-Keeper: He was asked by Frank to publicly take credit for a rescue Jamie performed, in order to protect the undercover operation.
- Street Smart: Renzulli doesn't seem to have much in higher education, but he's very savvy and is an experienced cop.
Officer Vincent Cruz
- Played by Sebastian Sozzi
Jamie's partner for season three. He grew up in the Bitterman Houses, a troubled housing project.
- The Casanova: Definitely has an eye for the ladies.
- Cowboy Cop: Tends to play things fast and loose, a trait which initially does not endear him to Jamie. They manage to come to terms with each other, though.
- Dark and Troubled Past: He grew up in the Bitterman Housing Projects, which are beset with gangs and drugs, but managed to escape that life and join the NYPD.
- Sacrificial Lion: In "The Bitter End" the gang that de facto runs the Bitterman Houses basically declares war on the NYPD. Vinny and Jamie are lured into the project and ambushed, and Vinny is fatally shot.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The manly man to Jamie's sensitive guy.
Detective Sonny Malevsky
- Played by: Michael T. Weiss
A detective in the 12th Precinct who was partnered with Joe Reagan.
- Arc Villain: The main villain of Season 1's Myth Arc as the man who murdered Joe Reagan, and takes center stage as the Big Bad of the season finale.
- Cop Killer: He murdered Joe Reagan.
- Dirty Cop: The head of the corrupt Blue Templar.
- Driven to Suicide: When confronted by Frank with other corrupt cops, he shoots himself in the head.
- Walking Spoiler: The main thing that can be told about him without giving away too much is that he was partnered with Joe Reagan.
29th Precinct
Officer Rachel Witten
- Played by: Lauren Patten
Eddie's former partner.
- Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job: She lands on her feet as a waitress after Frank has to fire her to maintain standing with the press. When Frank runs into her at a coffee shop, he decides to review her case and has her reinstated now that the heat has died down.
- Hidden Depths: Can differentiate between female and male animals, as shown in The First 100 Days, where a dog leads her and Eddie to a domestic dispute. When one of the officers says "good girl", she corrects him saying it's a male dog.
- Persona Non Grata: She gets canned from the department after detaining a Hispanic immigrant she suspected was involved in illegal activity, on account of press backlash accusing her of racism. She only gets her job back once the news cycle has passed and Frank happens to run into her waitressing.
- Put on a Bus: Turns in her papers a second time.
Officer Luis Badillo
- Played by: Ian Quinlan
Eddie's current partner.
- Hidden Depths: In "Cold Comfort", he gets in the victims' good graces when he expresses knowledge about the rare and valuable books that were stolen.
