In 2019, a New York appellate court ruled in favor of public access to body-worn camera (BWC) footage, deciding that the recorded material “is not a personnel record covered by the confidentiality and disclosure requirements of [NY Civil Rights Law] § 50-a.¹ The purpose of body-worn-camera footage is for use in the service of other key objectives … such as transparency, accountability, and public trust-building.”²

The NYPD Force Investigation Division (FID) standardizes how to report and investigate each department use-of-force incident, to include discharge of a firearm. FID releases BWC footage of critical incidents to the media within 30 calendar days of the event. Additional time may be required if an investigation is more complex, there are court orders preventing or delaying the release, or involved members and/or civilians have not yet viewed the video.

Once FID announces a BWC video release date, the NYPD’s trauma counseling team conducts a trauma debrief with the involved officer. This debrief begins with a department psychologist viewing the footage alongside the involved officer. Afterward, the officer receives counseling, which is confidential and not a fitness-for-duty evaluation. If additional sessions are necessary, the officer returns within 48 hours to two weeks after the initial meeting.

The main purpose of the trauma debrief is to allow the officer to process, defuse, and reflect on the traumatic event and regain personal control in anticipation of the media release. A department psychologist is uniquely qualified to identify and/or monitor adverse reactions and symptoms in personnel, thereby reducing the stigma associated with seeking mental health counseling.

These sessions help the psychologist to better understand the officer’s perceived sense of safety and level of security before the footage is released. The debrief provides a safe, nonjudgmental space for the officer to reflect upon their feelings and emotions. Further, the psychologist can help the officer process their individual experience and reassure them that their emotions are normal and appropriate.

Psychologists on the trauma counseling team also provide officers with immediate mental health support, education, and resources. Officers are informed of possible reactions to the BWC media release. Specifically, they learn about maladaptive coping strategies, including alcohol/substance misuse and expressions of anger, avoidance, and withdrawal. Resources provided include the department on-call psychologist, referrals to other qualified mental health professionals, familial and peer support services, employee assistance, and a chaplain.

The goal of the collaboration is to help the officer have a sense of security, safety, and well-being that allows them to remain full-time and reduces the potential need for a formal fitness-for-duty evaluation.

Process Review

Since the inception of the collaborative program in 2019, the NYPD has deployed over 24,000 cameras to patrol officers and specialized units. Approximately 80 BWC incidents have been released to the media, and NYPD psychologists have conducted an estimated 450 trauma debrief sessions.

In all but four of these sessions, officers have demonstrated no mental health impairment. The four affected individuals exhibited symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and were proactively identified and referred for monitoring and continued treatment with a behavioral health specialist.

Emotional Challenge

Often lost in the tempest of an intense police action under investigation are the emotions of involved officers, both during and following the event. Anxieties arising from the often-life-threatening nature of violent encounters, various necessary investigative debriefs, public reactions, and media attention can all be overwhelming.

These emotions are too often swept under the rug only to manifest later after the frenzy of the event has died down. Officers are at home with their families or alone with their “could’ve, should’ve, would’ve” thoughts, experiencing insomnia, agitated depression, or a variety of other somatic symptoms. The cumulative effect of these symptoms can exact a heavy toll on officers’ family lives and careers.

The American Psychiatric Association lists 10 common reactions in adults after a disaster or critical incident.

1. Trouble falling or staying asleep
2. Sadness, depression, hyperactivity, irritability, or anger
3. Numbness or a lack of feelings
4. Perpetual exhaustion or lack of energy
5. Changes in appetite
6. Difficulty concentrating or confusion
7. Social isolation or a reduction/restriction in normal activities
8. Thoughts that no one else is having the same reactions
9. Headaches, stomachaches, or other body pains
10. Misuse of alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or prescription medications⁶

According to the commanding officer of the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division, addressing mental health and wellness should be at the forefront of policing, especially in today’s challenging times. Police officers tend to disguise or “bottle up” their emotions as they confront stressful situations daily. Having this program in place allows officers to consult with a trained medical professional and learn coping mechanisms to address situations they may not immediately perceive to be stressful.⁷

Recommendations

Most officers will respond to a traumatic event well and quickly return to their prior level of functioning. Some, however, may experience distressing thoughts, physical symptoms, or difficult emotions, especially after the BWC footage is released to the media.

Information and emotional support from the trauma debrief equips officers to preemptively face these challenges from their inception. This assistance will help ward off the unwelcome consequences of allowing such anxieties to fester and prevent officers from succumbing to the stress of their experiences. The psychologist’s presence can mitigate the potential for signs and symptoms related to psychiatric disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and/or PTSD that can severely impact officers’ ability to return to work.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police encourages law enforcement agencies to be aware that not everyone reacts the same to a traumatic incident. Some officers might not have an initial reaction, while others may try to minimize or hide their responses from their colleagues or supervisors. For this reason, police departments should develop procedures for recognizing negative stress reactions in impacted personnel.⁸

Recommendations for expansion to the trauma debrief program include follow-up sessions at 6- and 12-month intervals. Additionally, the program should promote officer safety, wellness, and resiliency.

Conclusion

The New York Police Department has a wide range of support services for officer-involved shootings. Its unique interagency collaboration gives officers the opportunity to view body-worn camera footage with a mental health specialist in a safe space to process and regain a sense of control over their unique circumstances.

By debriefing personnel prior to the release of their BWC footage, the psychologist can ensure that appropriate mental health resources are provided. Ideally, the officers leave with a reestablished sense of hope, a recognition that their feelings and reactions are normal and temporary, and the psychological information they need to return to work full-time.