That definitely isn't the case and there's no law or policy regarding that lol, the reason in Into the Spiderverse is that it's an alternate universe NYC. But there are plenty of recent/still-running media that are explicitly about(fictional characters in)the real-life NYPD, like Law & Order or Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
I think there is something involving licensing or something because I've seen far too many video games and media fictionalize them. In the original Midnight Club the police are Listed as MCPD (Manhattan Police Department). In True Crime Streets of New York they're also listed as PDNY. In The Division 2 their cars are shown with the decals NYCP. In fact, in the first game The Division there were cars with NYPD decals on them that were then cut from the game or repainted.
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u/conqueror-worm 19d ago
Never noticed that before, but I also didn't notice the PDNY instead of NYPD on cop uniforms/cars the first time I watched it lol.