The film's title comes from the motto of the NYPD's Street Crimes Unit, a unit that was disbanded in 2002.

This is the third film directed by James Gray and the second to pair Joaquin Phoenix with Mark Wahlberg on screen, following their earlier collaboration in 2000's The Yards.

Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, who was mayor during the film's late-1980s setting, makes a cameo appearance as himself.

The film premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival on May 25, 2007, before its U.S. theatrical release on October 12, 2007.

Universal Pictures initially acquired international rights and announced acquisition of domestic rights in April 2006, but Sony Pictures later paid $11 million for the domestic rights and released the film through its Columbia Pictures division.

The film received mixed reviews, holding a 57% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a weighted score of 59 on Metacritic, while grossing $55.3 million worldwide against box office expectations.