The officers struggle and occasionally act brutally when arresting or extracting confessions from suspects. Violence is depicted as a realistic part of daily life in the city. However, the show is not overrun by guns. The violence, such as slaps or threats, is often born of frustration. Although the police officers frequently consider violent action, they typically demonstrate restraint.
Violence is portrayed as problematic.
The police are depicted as human and multi-dimensional characters. The bad guys are not purely evil. This leads to a responsible and realistic handling of violence. The producers understand that it is not necessary to show graphic scenes of violence in order to deal with violence in the show. Every act of violence portrayed in NYPD Blue is contextually appropriate.