NYPD candidate evaluations conducted without required psychologist licenses.
NYPD Under Fire for Allowing Unlicensed Psychologist to Evaluate Candidates
A controversy has erupted in New York City over the NYPD's employment of an unlicensed psychologist, Vanja Radoncic, to conduct psychological evaluations for police candidates. The state Municipal Police Training Council guidelines require only fully licensed psychologists to evaluate the psychological fitness of potential police officers, and it is illegal under New York state law for unlicensed individuals to conduct these evaluations.
Marquis Anderson, a member of the New York City Police Academy's October 2022 class, passed his written and psychological assessments before being sent to a medical psychological evaluation unit. There, he was seen by Radoncic, who identified herself as "Dr. Radoncic, Department Psychologist for the NYPD in the Psychological Evaluation Section." However, city records show that Radoncic has been employed by the NYPD with the title of "psychologist" since Sept. 29, 2019, yet there is no record of her holding a license or permit to practice psychology on the state Department of Education's verification portal.
The NYPD has defended Radoncic's employment, citing a clause in New York's education law that allows certain state, federal, and municipal employees working toward degrees to function as "certified school psychologists" in specific educational settings. However, critics argue that this exemption does not legally authorize Radoncic to perform police psychological assessments, which fall under stricter licensing rules. Assembly Member Manny De Los Santos, a member of the state Assembly's Education Committee, has expressed concern about the NYPD's use of the Education Law's exemption for the Board of Psychology's credentialing exemption.
Civil rights attorney Eric Sanders, who is representing Marquis Anderson, has stated that the NYPD has knowingly allowed unlicensed individuals to pose as 'psychologists' and make career-altering decisions in violation of New York State Education Law. Sanders also noted that these unlicensed individuals are left beholden to the department for licensure and vulnerable to pressure.
The controversy has raised questions about the fairness and impartiality of the NYPD's psychological evaluation process. Thousands of other candidates have been flagged and denied entrance into the police academy due to poor psychological assessments, according to public records. Critics and advocates allege that this process has been purposefully used to promote bias toward certain candidates and uphold norms that some have called structural racism.
Marquis Anderson was among the thousands of candidates who were denied entrance into the police academy due to a poor psychological evaluation. Three weeks after starting his training, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was subsequently released by Radoncic in June 2023. Anderson has since filed a suit challenging his discharge.
Other police departments across the state, such as Nassau County and Albany, adhere to the statute and only hire fully licensed or board-permitted psychologists for these roles. De Los Santos stated that it is disrespectful to the profession to have students who have not yet finished their graduate degrees making important assessments. The NYPD's practice of employing unlicensed psychologists for these evaluations has come under scrutiny, and calls for reform are growing louder.
References:
[1] "NYPD Allows Unlicensed Psychologist to Evaluate Police Candidates, Violating State Law, Critics Say." Gothamist, 22 June 2023, https://gothamist.com/news/nypd-allows-unlicensed-psychologist-evaluate-police-candidates-violating-state-law-critics-say.
- The NYPD's practice of employing unlicensed psychologists for psychological evaluations, such as Vanja Radoncic, raises concerns about the legality, impartiality, and potential biases in health-and-wellness assessments, particularly with regards to mental-health conditions of police candidates.
- Given the controversy surrounding the NYPD's employment of unlicensed psychologists like Radoncic for conducting psychological evaluations, questions have arisen about the efficacy of therapies-and-treatments provided to police officers, as well as the respect shown towards the medical-conditions aspect of health-and-wellness by the department.
