Kelly Asks Psychology Prof to Study Effect Of Race in Cop Shootings

RAYMOND W. KELLY: Searching for answers.

In the wake of the killing of a black off-duty Police Officer by a white cop, the NYPD has hired a researcher to study whether race plays a role in a police officer's split-second decision to shoot, and how that response can be regulated through training.

The researcher, Dr. Joshua Correll, a prominent psychology professor from the University of Chicago, will assist the department in examining the adequacy and appropriateness of its current training procedures. The Police Foundation, a non-profit, will pay an undetermined sum for the review.

Outreach to Police Chiefs

Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly has also requested the assistance of the International Association of Chief of Police, which will conduct a review of police confrontation shooting incidents that have taken place across the nation. The IACP will seek to identify best practices that have been shown to reduce these incidents.

In a letter to Governor Paterson, Mr. Kelly stated that the NYPD is in the process of completing a survey of its undercover personnel to learn how they handle these types of situations. "The survey has been designed to elicit data on the frequency, nature and elements of confrontation situations," he told the Governor. Surveys will follow of other officers assigned to plainclothes duty.

The fatal shooting May 28 of Officer Omar Edwards in Harlem has caused the department to reinforce scenario-based training for confrontation situations. "The yearly in-service tactical training course and the bi-annual firearms requalification course, which all uniformed personnel are required to attend, have been modified to incorporate refresher training on confrontation situations as part of the curriculum," Mr. Kelly wrote the Governor. "A training video involving confrontation situations that has been specifically designed for newly assigned undercover officers is currently in development."

The new Police Academy, which is to be built in College Point, Queens, will accommodate an expanded amount of scenario-based training. "I believe that this type of instruction is one of the most effective training methods available, particularly in the proper handling of various policing encounters that require the ability to make split-second decisions based on sound judgment," Mr. Kelly stated.

Seeks Early-Warning System

The Commissioner said the department is continuing to examine new technologies that might have been able to alert Police Officer Andrew Dunton that Detective Edwards was carrying a department-issued weapon. "The purpose of this early warning system device is to apply infrared technology to provide an advanced real-time early warning response to police officers who encounter a fellow off-duty plainclothes or undercover officer," Mr. Kelly wrote.

The NYPD has increased the percentage of minority officers from 35 percent to 46 percent since 2001. Minority Captains, who reach that rank based on a civil service exam, are promoted to Deputy Inspector, a discretionary upgrade, 40 percent more quickly than their white counterparts, according to the NYPD.

"I share your belief that a diverse police force that reflects the cultural diversity of New York City makes this agency more effective in carrying out its primary mission of protecting New Yorkers," Mr. Kelly told the Governor.