PayneInTheCulo

    Working at hospitals has become a major theme for me these past three years. I say this because my job requires me to be in the hospital daily. I have been exposed to many aspects of the hospital all in which has left a lasting impression on me. The Bellevue Police Department also known as Health and Hospital Police has transformed this impression into a passion. As an intern at this department, I didn’t have to wait long before I saw what would be required of me. The first day I started I was guided through the most intense atmospheres I have ever encountered. It is one thing to do clerk work but a whole different dynamic when you are with the officer on the job. I made it my duty to fully understand this department and what it stood for. I started observing its mission coupled with its function, structure and its influence amongst other departments. The results were beyond anything I hypothesized.            “The Health and Hospitals Corporation is committed to the safety and security of the patients, visitors, staff and the public that utilize all the facilities that make up Health and Hospitals Corporation” (New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation Official Site, 2014). I feel the mission statement is exactly what I have observed actively in my internship. The mission overall in my opinion is to maintain order. A hospital such as Bellevue is very complicated compared to the hospitals I have visited or worked in. I say complicated because Bellevue is its own town if you will. It contains a school, jail, courts, living quarters, and countless other facilities I have only witnessed here. In saying Bellevue is a large hospital is an understatement. The urgency to have order maintained is crucial in order for the hospital to function at its highest level. The functions of NYHP summed up are to maintain the order. It sounds so simple but from eye witness accounts it is far from simple. NYHP are peace keepers, watchmen, information, and from what I have been told-“We get called for everything you can think of.” The remarkable part that still leaves me in disbelief is they are not armed. Their belt consists of an expandable baton, flashlight, whistle, and handcuffs. In touring the Psych Ward, I automatically felt this was absurd. I also feel there is a reactive mindset rather than proactive. The hospital has no metal detectors or any methods besides scanners (scattered around) to determine who is armed. I only feel this hospital needs such protection due to the people that enter the facility. As I sat in an Ebola meeting, the lead team member stated “About 80% of the people that come into the hospitals are not patients.” This is very scary to think about but that is for later in the paper. They are the police of the hospital. I feel the mission and functions do not give enough credit to this department who is routinely short staffed (30 people short). They however make it work on a daily basis.

            The ranks according to New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation Official Site (2014) are categorized in four ranks. This however is not what I have witnessed in my time here at Bellevue. Starting from the bottom, it starts with Hospital Police Officer. After this rank comes Sergeant. The Detective rank comes after being Sergeant. Detectives have their own files and paperwork which is why I say they are their own rank. Lieutenant is up next with Captain right above that. For the sake of the ranks, Captain is the highest position you can hold. I say this because my Supervisor, Thomas Egan, is the Assistant Hospital Police Director. Above him is Mr. Sweeney who is the Director. The amount of personal varies with rank as we see almost everywhere. At the bottom, the hospital police have the most amounts of personnel in the ranks. They wear dark blue shirts as we see on the NYPD. It however consists of different patches and emblems. They also have no stripes unless they have years in. An example would be Officer Mendes who I met for the first time yesterday. She has two stripes on her arm which indicate ten years. Each stripe amounts to five years on the force. She tells she has been here for thirteen years. She must complete another five years in order to get another stripe. It won’t be given any other way even if it was fourteen and a half years she completed. The Sergeant rank is awarded when your score on the test is borderline exceptional (85% or better). It is very a competitive rank to get into due to the amount of officers. I have seen three Sergeants as of now and only had the pleasure to work with Sgt. Robinson. She has been on the force for 20 plus years and has extensive knowledge about Bellevue Hospital. It was an honor to patrol with her and I look forward to do it again. I have seen two Lieutenants and only one Captain. I have yet to interact with these three due to schedules and lack of communication*. I have extensive talks with my Supervisor who once again is the Asst. Director. Ms Weiss, the director, I spoken to a limit amount of times but she seems to always be around. The main theme that has constantly shown itself is every officer has a story which is never the same as the previous. The emotions behind the stories cannot be told in writing, it would be a dishonor to even attempt.

            NYHP are the police of the hospital inside and out. Their jurisdiction stretches from 28 street to 31 street 1stavenue. This may be very small compared to other jurisdictions however Bellevue brings in multiple agencies on a daily basis. I have witnessed with my eyes agencies such as: Corrections, EMT, CDC, NYPD, Roosevelt Island Police Department, CDC, FBI, Parole, Warrant Squad, and Justice Department (lawyers, judges, clerks). As said before their jurisdiction is limited yet there are exceptions I recently found out. Misdemeanors and petty crime are reported then handed to the NYPD to investigate. The exception comes when the crime is a felony. NYHP are allowed and encouraged to obtain the perpetrator no matter if it is passed their restrictions. They are by law allowed to investigate the crime as well as participant in the hearings as witnesses. Bellevue is what you can call the “ground zero” of hospitals. Bellevue Hospital was the go to hospital during Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. The CDC has made Bellevue the main hospital for the Ebola crisis. This hospital’s influence reaches all over New York City. The Department of Corrections has its own unit which is on the 19th floor as well as detainee center on the ground floor. CDC has designated three rooms in the TB unit for treating Ebola patients. I asked many officers about the relationship between themselves and Corrections/NYPD. It is said to be neutral, mutual respect for each other. Tensions arise when NYPD/Corrections do not want to abide by hospital rules such as cell phone use in certain wards or taking prisoners away from them. An officer in secret told me and I quote “tensions have risen now due to the summons/tickets we issue their unmarked cars. They must at least show identification on their cars in order to park in the admitting area because only ambulances can park there.” Other than that it is mutual respect. In my opinion the level respect comes down to being armed or not. NYPD/Corrections are allowed to carry as where NYPH are not allowed. The pay is different due to this and many NYPH officers use this as a stepping stone into one of those agencies. In terms of status NYPH are at the bottom but their duties make up for that which generates the respect they receive from other agencies. They are the first line of defense in Bellevue and that can never be taken away from them.

            Hospital Police is an agency with responsibilities that can range from catching a loose pigeon to transporting inmates to Central Booking. In the division I intern, you have a watchman and patrolman. A watchman has no shield and cannot man a post. His/her job is to stay in “central command” and monitor the cameras. Watchmen also get paid less due to no academy certificate. They can only report to distress calls such as riots or when an officer is being attacked. The cameras that they monitor number close to 600 cameras within and out of Bellevue. Within the camera room are also the alarms and bells for entrances. Police, FDNY, DOC, ambulances and other registered vehicles must ring bell to enter Bellevue’s facility. They ring the bell and the watchman then allows them in if all is correct. There are instances where people try to enter doors they are not allowed to go through. Visitors also confuse this entrance with the main parking lot. It is up to the watchman to decipher who belongs and who doesn’t. The alarms I mentioned deal with the staircase and maternity ward. Each newborn is provided with a wrist monitor to keep track on the baby. This is done in order to prevent abduction and any other relates issues. This is alarm is constantly going off because it is very sensitive. Newborns wiggle it or when the nurse picks them up for it to be loosen, they alarm will sound. This is much known in this department. The watchman gives an estimate of three minutes before he/she calls up to check on the status. The camera room which can only be accessed by a keypad along with the command center are the watchman “posts”. They are the ears, eyes, and voice of the department. Patrolmen, those with shields, man the posts. Everyday with a few exceptions, officers are assigned a post for the day/tour. The exemptions come for the amount of time served on the job. These officers check for IDs, guard floor, give directions, assist on transports, monitor all vendors, and overall keep order in hospital. A package cannot be bought in Bellevue without a proper pass. This goes the same for visitors. IDs and visitor passes are taken very seriously due to the non stop movement in this hospital. As I said earlier “85% of people who come in the hospital are not patients.” HHC also possess NYPD power within the hospital. They basically cover anything and everything that the hospital staff cannot handle. They also must assist the CMT- crisis management team during every crisis. It depends on the severity or manpower whereas supervisors/lieutenants tag along. Officers also must keep paperwork for everything as well as on their tours. Everything is recorded from sayings its quiet to detailing an incident. This is very important as a civil worker due to it being a very interactive job. They are the guards to the hospital. The only dent in that title comes on the 19th floor-corrections. The DOC must handle its own crisis because they “belong” to the DOC. Officers must be aware and alert at ALL times. In Bellevue, a quiet minute can turn into a crisis day in just a matter of seconds. An attempt to explain it will be very much in vain. It is an experience you must be in personally to understand this phenomenon. 

            As the second wave of interns (I just found this out) my role varies day to day. The first interns I was told weren’t very if at all effective. I sense that because there is no set schedule for interns. I was given a syllabus of the daily events on my first day but learned very quickly that is based on everything else. I say that because that schedule depends on if the department isn’t busy. Bellevue, as I said before, is never in order because it doesn’t stop. It may slow down but the flow of people does not stop. There are days when I was told I would doing clerk work and found myself at a post with an officer. My duties or the duties I have done range from filing reports to sitting in court. I have logged property of patients/inmates into the proper log book. I have made copies of paperwork as well as make arrest packages. I had to file each arrest report into the proper officer’s folder. My supervisor allows me to make deliveries within the hospital for him. I have been very active in the camera room going on two weeks. I have been trusted to ring the entrance bell and alert when the alarms go off. They allowed me to sit in on arraignments which lasted close to threes hours. They are so understaffed coupled with call outs if I can do it they allow me to. My role in reality is open. I have found myself to be doing very little clerk work which I do not mind at all. I have been getting a more hands on experience such as manning a post in the psych elevation ward. My role has been one of confusion yet I have not been disappointed at all.

            A job such as this one has its share of pros and cons. The overall goal as said before is “to maintain order.” This can prove to be trouble as I have witness but somehow it gets handled. I will start with the cons. The main con in my belief is being understaffed. I was told from an officer the department is suppose to have at least sixty officers employed. They have as its most forty. Being understaffed is just the general term. Officers can be scheduled from eight to four thirty but end up leaving at eight the next morning. An officer I was shadowing informed me she was about to finish her double. She then informed me she would go home sleep at least four hours to be back for another double. This was very absurd to me. The role of these officers depend on awareness yet with only four hours of sleep, this becomes a real challenge. Lunch (meal) can be postponed until you are relieved. Her meal was scheduled for twelve yet didn’t go until three. This is a major problem yet once again they make it work. It is very stressful especially when major incidents occur such as Hurricane Sandy and Ebola. The under staff problem also increases call outs. People are very tired and use call outs to replenish. This leads to a domino effect of stress since officers must stay to man the post. The second con is that they are unarmed. This is an issue with me and other officers due to being the first line of defense. Bellevue is very big which makes it dangerous. I feel if they are armed a bigger deterrence would be present. I have been approached my characters that strike me as odd. An example would be being asked directions for that person to go the opposite way. I can see where and how danger can present itself rapidly. They have made it work without it yet I still feel that being armed would stop any threat that may enter. Despite these cons, there are definitely some pros. The bond these officers share is what allows them to patrol with such great confidence. They treat each other’s safety as their own. 10-13s and 10-85s are treated the same level you would defend your little siblings. The passion for protection is very noticeable. Officers will drop everything to bring aid to their fellow officers. They watch over each other which allows the department to reach its goal. Another positive I have witnessed is that they are filled with compassion. They are not the aggressive police we hear about daily. They speak to everyone even the psych patients with respect. They understand speaking in the right tone accomplishes more than using force. Force is the last solution in their protocol. I believe this is key to meet their goal because its builds trust/relationships. The visitors, staff, and patients do not fear them. Many of the patients are homeless and this is understood. Officers understand in order to keep order you must treat people like people. These pros and cons of the department in a sense make it is what it is. I believe however with some solutions, this agency will run smoothly. 

            I would immediately begin observing who is coming out of the academy. This department needs more bodies. I really believe if there were more bodies, call outs as well as mandatory overtime will cease drastically. The body can only take so much before it gives out. These officers must put their bodies on the line in order to deter certain disturbances. A tired officer makes for a crisis. They need more relief as well as better flexibility. This job is not performed by robots which need to be severely understood. There is only so much you can ask from an officer who has been up twenty four hours. This job is dependent on awareness which means more bodies. I feel another solution can be better pay. They are paid very low on the chain of enforcement agencies. The absence of a gun is also why they are paid lower. They would be paid more and trained differently if they were armed. I also feel it makes people want to work. The job is never boring and very active. The pay increase cans serve as an incentive and make officers that much more passionate about their jobs. In the end the main solution is to have this department fully staffed, rested and passionate to maintain order thoroughly.

My internship experience has allowed me to prosper in ways I have yet to experience. I say that because it has broadened not just my senses but my academic knowledge. The ability to read and write which is taken for granted was crucial in this internship. An example can be when I was logging inmate property into log books. I needed to be able to read names and write what belongs to whom. Once again this is very simple yet it played a crucial part in completing my tasks. The reward of coming from an academic background is why I believe I flourished in this department. Classes I have taken such as Psychology and Reading Comprehensive provided great aid in this type of fieldwork. The ability to decipher and understand why people do what they do is what allowed me to remain open minded. Throughout the internship I saw each dilemma and solution through both points of views: officer and civilian. “The tongue is sharper than the sword.” I use to downplay this quote tremendously until I spoke with numerous officers. The impact behind this quote came when all of the officers stated it is best to talk to people before any other option. This type of communication is safer and sets precedents for the future. The atmosphere will be calmer than a physical one. The officers understand that which is why the first defense is to be vocal. The ability to understand what I’m reading aided greatly due to the books I read in my time at Bellevue. I was able to read these books and apply it to my overall understanding of certain topics. Criminal Justice is a broad field which is why these criminal books helped in one way or another. Academic knowledge combined with awareness creates an abundant learning environment. Bellevue is filled learning experiences and with academic experience allowed me to research what I didn’t know. It allowed me to keep an open mind even if I was on 7 West (TB Unit) opening doors all day. I really believe know every situation is what you make of it. I was constantly reading the history of the hospital, how it started, and the infamous Psych Ward. I love to learn and see how it can apply into my daily life. I never wanted to internship to be honest. This would have been a grave mistake because I would have missed out on some very important lessons. My academic knowledge allowed me to have direct conversations with people I would have been intimidated to speak to before. Mr. Sweeney and Mr. Egan would have frighten me if this would have been 3-4 years ago. Throughout those years and even during the internship, I kept learning. I learned body language and tones. I learned in order to be respected you must carry yourself as such. My studies throughout my years is what allowed me ask questions about certain moments in NYPD history. I will say this reading about cops and actually shadowing are two very different things. Common sense mixed with knowledge gained from school, I suggest everyone have the opportunity experience this. Everyone needs to see stories from each side, not just from the third party (media). I feel coming from such an academic background coupled with “police awareness” will provide me great skills I can use throughout my life. I also was able to help the department out using such skills such as writing, reading, and assessment. Academic knowledge also played a major role when I sat in on arraignments one day. I understood the basics and language due to having study that in past. I was able to ask relevant questions and understand the answers given back to me. This was an fantastic learning experience for me and to complain will be in vain.

Overall this has been a life changing experience in more ways than one. I will start with the highlight of my internship. The highlight is the awareness that I have picked up with these officers. This is so important because you learn how to read people and be able to assess situations even before it gets to a head. This awareness also includes the balance of power. In each aspect of life there will be people who will abuse their power. These officers showed me first hand it doesn’t have to be as such. I learned you speak to people no matter how hostile first with respect. These are people such as yourself and must remember to treat people how you would like to be treated. People also respect officers as I seen that respect them. Sgt. Robinson was my introduction into this concept on my first day. The “undesirables” as many would call them spoke to Sgt. Robinson with the upmost respect. They laughed, spoke, and even asked would she like something from outside. This is the police awareness that needs to be mimicked across the board. Officer Cheeseboro, Officer Mendes, Officer Ramirez, Officer MacDowell, Sgt. Wickham, Officer Padilla, Officer Reid and Det. Slade have really left a special impact on me. I never viewed officers in this way before, past the uniform and past the badge. I saw these people as people. The same people I speak to everyday or eat lunch with. Every police officer is not a boogeyman even though they are plenty that are. These officers confirmed this notion day in and day out. They kept it nothing but truthful with me on good and bad days. This is why I have such an respect for these officers that will always remain. They treated me as one of them and that meant a lot to me. I was provided with opportunities whenever they had to go on call. I am so grateful for their enthusiasm to have me see their normal day. CPEP and Pysch Ward which is very hostile, I was given access to. This to me was unheard of due to the potential of violence. It was sort of scary yet I will do it again. This experience has me waiting for the next exam to open up. I would be blessed to have such co workers. Mr. Egan provided me with in depth knowledge that could not be read in a book or seen in a documentary. He spoke to me as a man and was treated with nothing less than respect. I gained a new respect for the police speaking with Mr. Egan. I knew he was not going to be like any other cop I met when he first asked me “What is your opinion on Ferguson truthfully? Do not worry about how I will respond.” I grown to admire his stories and I always try to find something to speak to him about. He is a very busy man so I respect the time when it’s given to me. He is about getting the job done but at the same time speaks to you as he would his boss. Power in this department is respected however the tone is what I admired. I really appreciated that Mr. Sweeney and him speak to their workers with respect. They value their employees which in my current situation I do not see. This experience really shifted my views and attitude. My only complaint for this experience would be when I was put to do clerical work. I would be lying if I said it didn’t have its moments of excitement such as logging inmate property and reading the mail for the Ebola patient. I dreaded the notion I had to internship. I dreaded the fact if it wasn’t for Mr. Johnson I wouldn’t even have been in an internship. I wanted it all to end as fast as possible. At this given time now, I actually do not want it to end. I will be applying to start as watchman in order to get my foot in the door. The hospital police grew on me which to my surprise, I’m grateful for. Thank you.