Officer Wellness and the Employee Relations Bureau

Employee Relations Bureau

Although Kenneth enjoyed being a precinct commander, when he was presented with an opportunity to be the commanding officer of the Employee Relations Bureau and to address officer morale and wellness issues for the entire agency, he could not refuse. The bureau oversaw developing innovative ways to address employee morale, managing the department chaplains, department ceremonies, and coordinating the over 3 dozen fraternal organizations that represent employees of various backgrounds based on common interests, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation.

The bureau also had the very important role of helping the families of fallen and seriously injured officers by ensuring that injured officers receive the best services available and that their survivors are cared for in the event of their demise. This role put Kenneth on the frontlines and required that he frequently respond to the scene and/or hospital when tragedies occurred. As such, he developed close relationships with many families of fallen officers. Ken believes they are truly amazing people, and he was inspired by their strength and resilience. He learned much about how to care for those enduring heartbreak and the importance of ensuring that officers who made the ultimate sacrifice are never forgotten.

The Employee Relations Bureau is led by a deputy commissioner who is a top advisor to the police commissioner. Kenneth's role as the commanding officer was to spearhead and manage all bureau operations and to advise the deputy commissioner on all matters; ergo he also often had the ear of the police commissioner and was able to make policy recommendations on extremely important matters.

In 2019, one such important matter occurred. Officer suicide has long been a problem in policing and the NYPD is no exception. Each year, an average of four to five NYPD officers takes their own lives; in 2019, this number doubled when 10 officers died by suicide. The department gathered subject matter experts, studied best practices, and looked for viable solutions.  Kenneth was at the forefront of this response. He served on a special committee formed to investigate the issue. He was also the moderator of a special conference for department executives focused on officer mental health and wellness. Ken was one of the principal architects of the wellness strategy the department ultimately adopted: the creation of a new unit dedicated for officer health and wellness.

Starting the new health and wellness section was not an easy endeavor. Kenneth was part of the team that recruited, trained, and managed a team of clinicians to address officer mental health challenges before they reach the level of acute crisis (click here to see a news story featuring his comments about the NYPD’s plan to create a new health and wellness center). The NYPD also created a new peer support program, where selected members in all ranks received specialized training to provide colleagues with support. Ken also helped pioneer a new strategy for addressing officer wellness – the use of professionally trained dogs (click here to see a news story highlighting the NYPD’s therapy dog program). The dogs and their effectiveness also became the focus of much of his research on officer wellness, including his dissertation (see the page dedicated to Ken's research experience for further information). Ken considers himself blessed that his professional experience in the NYPD and his academic life are like a closely overlapping Venn diagram – they complement and support each other perfectly.