Casting features organic diversity for a New York City setting, including S. Epatha Merkerson as Black female Lieutenant Van Buren (introduced in prior seasons) and Jill Hennessy as white female ADA Claire Kincaid, alongside mostly white male leads like Jerry Orbach and Chris Noth; no race/gender swaps or forced DEI.

Episodes occasionally touch social issues, such as 'Pride' (S5E23) involving the murder of a gay man and past police brutality against him, or 'Blue Bamboo' (S5E3) on abortion which drew some pro-choice criticism for perceived anti-abortion leanings, but these are treated as neutral crime investigations culminating in convictions, without lectures, systemic critiques, or identity politics driving the narrative. No evidence of creator activist intent for progressivism, no significant controversies labeling it 'woke,' and modern searches yield zero audience backlash on DEI or wokeness—reception praises it as traditional entertainment.