Q&A
Council Member Salaam questions NYPD on human trafficking training
1:59:53
ยท
170 sec
Council Member Yusef Salaam inquires about the NYPD's training procedures related to human trafficking cases. NYPD representatives, including Kathleen Baer, Carlos Ortiz, and Josh Levin, provide details on their training programs, frequency of updates, and efforts to incorporate emerging trends and best practices.
- NYPD conducts mandatory 3-day refresher courses multiple times a year for officers in child abuse and adult trafficking squads.
- Training includes trauma-informed approaches and input from external experts on human trafficking.
- The department is working on expanding training on identifying signs of trafficking to all NYPD officers, not just those specializing in these cases.
Yusef Salaam
1:59:53
Just a just a few, very, very short ones.
1:59:57
So I wanted to know if you can provide details about the training provided to officers assigned to work on human trafficking cases and how often is this training updated to reflect emerging trends and best practices.
Kathleen Baer
2:00:14
Sure.
2:00:15
Like I said before, we have, refresher courses that are required.
2:00:19
Those are mandatory 3 day courses on best practices that are, given usually, 3 times a year for the child abuse squads and 4 times a year for the adult and trafficking squad is included in those.
2:00:36
And then the other training that we do is, like, the trauma informed training, which are these are outside organizations that are coming in.
2:00:42
And in those refresher courses, we bring in the different people to talk about the best practices, and we have, experts in human trafficking that come in and talk about the law enforcement piece and the trends and investigations.
Carlos Ortiz
2:00:57
Yeah.
2:00:58
And in those, chair, we do we do, get topical.
2:01:00
So every year, it's different.
2:01:02
You don't have the same 3 day 3 day training every year.
2:01:05
So depending on what, you know, what, the the new law, the rape is rape law that just, started September 1st, 20, 2024, That's something that would be in the training this year.
2:01:14
So we always look at different things that are that are trending, different things that are that are coming out now.
2:01:19
Yeah.
2:01:19
Changes in the law and things like that that we want we we add to our training.
Yusef Salaam
2:01:23
And last question from me.
2:01:25
To what extent do all NYPD officers reach receive training on identifying signs of trafficking during routine operations or investigations?
Josh Levin
2:01:39
Chair, let me just make sure I'm understanding you correctly.
2:01:41
Do you mean all NYPD officers, or do you mean specifically the people who are assigned this type of work?
Yusef Salaam
2:01:46
All?
2:01:47
Yeah.
2:01:47
Because, I mean, I know that, you know, in terms of the work, it's a lot that you all may be exposed to.
2:01:53
So I'm just trying to find out, you know, is there
Josh Levin
2:01:58
I got you.
Yusef Salaam
2:01:58
You know?
2:01:59
Yeah.
Josh Levin
2:01:59
I got you.
2:02:00
I didn't look into that, but I will double check and I can circle back with you for that information.
2:02:05
Alright?
2:02:06
Unless Yeah.
2:02:07
Okay.
Carlos Ortiz
2:02:08
Yeah.
2:02:08
One of the things that we do is we do have, a block of recruit training, and my, my special victims trainers actually, teach all the recruits that are coming in in in into the police department.
2:02:21
The other things I mentioned before is we do roll call trainings.
2:02:24
We specifically, you know, target different, precincts, for different type of reasons.
2:02:29
So we ourselves as as unit, we're small, but we do reach out to our patrol partners.
2:02:34
I know, the, the training unit within the NYPD is working on something, in regards to the the main question that you have.
Yusef Salaam
2:02:42
Thanks.