Department of Justice Investigates NYPD Special Victims Division

The Department of Justice is considering an investigation into the NYPD’s Special Victims Division. This inquiry comes partly from experiences of survivors like myself.

Nearly a decade ago, I found myself waking up in a Brooklyn hospital, with no memory of how I got there. My head felt heavy, clouded by confusion.

Just the day before, I had been out for drinks with two male coworkers. The last thing I clearly remember is struggling to respond to one of their questions.

After that, it’s all a blur.

Some notes from the hospital revealed significant details—indications of drug use rather than just alcohol.

I decided to go through with the sexual assault evidence kit, often referred to as a rape kit, and filed a police report. But when the detective from the Brooklyn Special Victims Division arrived, his first question struck me: “Is this really an attack or just regret?”

He explained that my fragmented memories limited his options and suggested I make a “controlled call” to my alleged assailant to see if he would admit to anything.

But there was nothing controlled about it. He barely prepared me, just handed me a flimsy script: say you had a good time but couldn’t recall everything, and ask him to fill in the blanks.

Naturally, that call didn’t lead to any confession. Instead, the detective handed me a form stating he would be putting my case on hold, adding more evidence against me than my alleged assailant.

He didn’t seek out crucial evidence, like security footage from the bar or interviews with other colleagues. In fact, he didn’t even talk to my assailant, likely knowing I couldn’t recall much. The form I signed was essentially a case closure notice.

Two years later, Deputy Chief Michael Osgood, the director of Special Victims, reopened my case after Jane Manning, a former prosecutor and advocate for justice, reached out to me.

Chief Osgood looked into my situation, talked to witnesses, and brought in new detectives to try and track down surveillance footage and receipts. Unfortunately, too much evidence had vanished.

In 2018, the NYPD disbanded my investigative team and reassigned Chief Osgood to Staten Island.

Along with Manning and another survivor, I met with police leadership the following day to discuss how previous detectives mishandled our cases.

A few months later, the NYPD formed a much smaller team focused on drug and alcohol-related cases, placing my original detective on that team.

Since I first shared my story, I’ve come across many fellow survivors who recount eerily similar experiences—from unhelpful officers to poorly conducted calls and inadequate investigations.

The issues are systematic and, frankly, distressing. In 2010, a working group highlighted needed improvements in handling sexual offenses, suggesting that actual detectives, not patrol officers, respond to victims in emergency rooms.

Despite caseloads ballooning from 3,657 in 2010 to 5,725 in 2012, staffing levels remained stagnant. Before this spike, there were 72 investigators for adult sex crimes, but from 2012 to 2017, that number barely changed to an average of 73.5.

So it’s no surprise that many cases like mine weren’t properly investigated. In fact, the NYPD has closed numerous “basic” cases, which the FBI defines as cases that don’t indicate an attack occurred.

From 2014 to 2016, the NYPD labeled over 16% of rapes as “unfounded”—a staggering figure compared to less than 3% for the Los Angeles Police Department during that same time frame.

A 2021 report revealed that victims are often subjected to controlled calls “regularly,” sometimes presented with stark options, despite rarely making the alleged assailants admit guilt.

These ongoing fundamental issues compel me to sign a letter to the Department of Justice, urging an investigation into the treatment of survivors in the Special Victims Division.

We have waited long enough to confirm that the NYPD has shown systematic bias against women over the years.

By making findings public and enacting reforms, the Department of Justice can tackle a myriad of challenges faced by survivors for far too long. More significantly, it will send a strong nationwide message emphasizing that women matter and deserve equal treatment under the law.

Ultimately, I want survivors like me to know that justice does matter.