I agree with you, and that's part of the reason why I don't watch the SVU, aside from all of the actors outspoken pro-sodomite activism. However, little sprinkles of the character's lives have always been present - the dating between McCoy and Kincaid, Ross' kids, Briscoe's daughter's drug habit, etc. I can take this small amount.
Yeah, SVU is far worse than the original. Those silly outfits they wear, it's like someone said, "Hey, let's have the cops wear Armani and Prada and skip the budget for writers!"