Cop move normal, sez brass
The shakeup in the NYPD’s sex crimes unit has nothing “negative” to do with the outgoing boss, it’s just “natural evolution,” the department’s chief of detectives said Friday.
“This is not a punishment,” Chief Dermot Shea said of the transfer of Chief Michael Osgood to Patrol Borough Staten Island, where he is executive officer.
Osgood, 58, helmed the Special Victims Division since the early 2000s and has often publicly criticized the staffing of the unit that investigates sex crimes and until now, hate crimes.
During the last six months, the number of cops assigned to elite squad has increased from 82 to 118.
On Thursday, Shea announced that Deputy Chief Judith Harrison, a 21-year veteran will take the reins from Osgood because the agency wanted a “fresh perspective.”
“In every assignment I’ve ever had I’ve made a concerted effort to put the victim first,” Harrison, 50, said Friday. “(I’ve always) supported the victim, ensured that investigations are done accurately and made sure they are conducted timely and will continue to do that.”