Elite NYPD squad uses surveillance video to track and catch criminals: ‘We take a lot of pride in our work’

To these New York Police Department detectives, New York City is one giant “Where’s Waldo?” game. Armed with cyber savvy, hunters’ instincts and a love for solving puzzles, the Manhattan North Homicide and Shooting Enhancement Team has helped close some of the city’s biggest criminal cases by painstakingly tracking suspects through surveillance video — sometimes right to the wanted person’s home. The squad’s success led the NYPD to establish similar operations in other boroughs, said Sgt. Mackenson Nelson, who in 2020 assembled the Manhattan North team. The unit is based in NYPD offices in Har...