Photo Courtesy of NYPD
Deputy Chief Harrison delivers remarks on Friday after NYPD announces that she will be the commanding officer of the Special Victims Division.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Deputy Chief Judith Harrison, who served as top cop of the 109th and 112th precincts in Queens, has been named commanding officer of the City Police Department’s newly reorganized Special Victims Division.
Harrison joined the NYPD in April 1997. For the past 21 years, she has worked in various assignments while ascending the supervisory ranks, culminating with her promotion to deputy chief last July when she joined the Detective Bureau.
As a precinct executive, Harrison was intimately involved with every crime that was reported to the precinct, including sex crimes, according to the NYPD. She worked closely with all investigative units in the 112th Precinct stationhouse, including Queens Special Victims.
“I’m extremely grateful for this amazing opportunity to serve the department and the great citizens of New York City in this significant leadership role,” Harrison said on Friday. “I look forward to working in partnership with the victims’ advocacy groups and the district attorneys as we together serve the citizens of New York City and continue the progress that’s already been made. I will cultivate an environment where survivors of sexual assault know that we are committed to providing survivors with the justice they deserve.”
Harrison’s move to SVD is part of the department’s comprehensive restructuring of the embattled unit. In April, City lawmakers convened a hearing following an eye-opening Department of Investigation report which noted that the NYPD has “routinely understaffed and neglected the Special Victims Division, negatively impacting sexual assault investigations.”
The year-long DOI investigation found that the NYPD has understaffed and under-resourced SVD for at least the last nine years, despite recommendations from the NYPD’s own Sex Crimes Working Group in 2010 and consistent warnings raised by SVD leadership in the years since. Internal NYPD documents, not previously made public and obtained by DOI investigators, acknowledge that many sexual assault cases are not properly investigated due to staffing and resource limitations. Interviews with multiple prosecutors confirmed the concern, according to DOI.
That same month, the department launched a top-to-bottom review under the new Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea to identify areas within the SVD that could be improved through a survivor-focused philosophy, starting from the very first interaction and throughout the entire investigative process.
The NYPD indicated that over the last seven months its brass has met with advocates, elected officials and other stakeholders to solicit feedback. The key areas of changes announced on Friday—which have had rolling implementation over the last seven months—include leadership, staffing, policy, training and facilities.
The department has increased total overall staffing in the SVD and decreased the average caseload per SVD detective. Additionally, over the last seven months the NYPD accelerated training for all investigators in SVD. As a result, every detective in SVD has now received full Forensic Experiential Trauma Interview training.
And the agency noted that repairs have been conducted at SVD facilities in all five boroughs to make environments more welcoming.
“We are thoroughly committed to investigating these heinous crimes. If we can get better, we will get better,” Harrison added.
