The Vice Enforcement Division (nicknamed Vice Squad or Vice) is a department of the New York City Police Department. The division deals with organized crime and gang connections to prostitution, leading them to cross paths with other divisions in the NYPD, namely the Manhattan Special Victims Unit.
Some of the earliest interaction SVU and Vice had were antagonistic, as then Detective Olivia Benson was angered by the lack of care shown by the older Sal D'Angelo over a murder victim suspected of being a prostitute. SVU, however, later finds that his partner Peter Ridley had been secretly killing sex workers for years. (SVU: "Hysteria")
Manhattan SVU had gotten word about some underage sex trafficking at a party. Detective Dominick Carisi, Jr. went to the party undercover and SVU busted up the party. However, in attendance were two vice cops, Detectives Tom Russo and Anton Jefferson, who claimed they were undercover as well. (SVU: "Manhattan Transfer") It turned out, though, they were members of the St. Fabiola's Sex Trafficking Ring and they were asked to frame IAB's Ed Tucker after he found out about the ring. (SVU: "Unholiest Alliance")
When investigating the death of a prostitute working in a pop-up brothel that was a front for a sex trafficking ring, Sergeant Odafin Tutuola contacts his old partner in Narcotics Division and the Manhattan South Vice sergeant, Phoebe Baker, to assist. Tutuola believed Phoebe and an officer under her supervision were involved with the ring when an attempted sting operation was exposed while she was absent. It was soon revealed that Judge Edward Kofax was responsible for alerting the ring to the investigation. When the case was finished, Tutuola apologized for accusing her, and she accepted. (SVU: "Brothel")
SVU decided to use a young undercover Vice officer, Katriona Tamin, to gather evidence against Sir Tobias Moore, a studio executive accused of raping young actresses. (SVU: "I'm Going To Make You a Star"). Her performance leads to her transfer to SVU.
Personnel[]
- Sergeant/Captain Igor Gerbic
- Lieutenant Anita Van Buren, moved to commanding officer of the 27th Precinct
- Officer Sal D'Angelo (SVU: "Hysteria")
- Officer Peter Ridley (SVU: "Hysteria")
- Detective Monique Jeffries, went over to Vice after leaving Special Victims Unit
- Detective/Lieutenant Alexandra Eames, spent three/five years with Vice, moved to Major Case Squad and later Joint Terrorism
- Inspector Fuller, supervisor of Van Buren at Vice, moved to SavingsMart (L&O: "Bottomless")
- Stanislav "Stash" Bardem, worked with Eames in Vice, went into private security for Duke Deguerin (CI: "Alpha Dog")
- Detective Tom Russo (SVU: "Manhattan Transfer", "Unholiest Alliance")
- Detective Anton Jefferson (SVU: "Manhattan Transfer", "Unholiest Alliance")
- Sergeant Phoebe Baker, Manhattan South Vice Squad, previously worked with Odafin Tutuola in Narcotics Division
- Detective Katriona Tamin, moved to Manhattan Special Victims Unit
- Rachel Wilson (SVU: "The Longest Night Of Rain"), went to the Police Academy with Olivia Benson
- Sergeant Ralphie Morris (SVU: "The Longest Night Of Rain"), was previously a mentor to Katriona Tamin
- Gary Wald (SVU: "The Longest Night Of Rain"), was partnered with Ed Tucker at some point