Michelle Brown, 40 under 40

Michelle Brown

Deputy Director, Psychological Assessment Section, New York City Police Department, New York

Deputy Director Michelle Brown’s path to law enforcement began almost 10 years ago when she was hired as a clinical psychologist for military and law enforcement personnel and their families. This opportunity became a turning point in her career because it introduced her to working directly with law enforcement officers and 9/11 first responders and rescue and recovery workers. After working in this capacity for two years, Dr. Brown began her own private practice in which she focused on the diagnostic assessment and treatment of service-connected mental health conditions. 

At the age of 33, Dr. Brown was hired as the deputy director of the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) Psychological Assessment Section, which is responsible for the preemployment psychological suitability evaluations for all candidates applying to be NYPD officers. This was the first time in the section’s history that an individual was hired from outside of the agency for that position. Since her hiring in 2017, Dr. Brown has taken the lead on managing NYPD disqualification appeals and given invaluable feedback to staff on how to conduct better evaluations and make decisions that are more legally defensible. Due to her efforts, she has recently been selected to take over as deputy director of the Psychological Assessment Appeals Section, which is responsible for processing and reviewing all candidate disqualification appeals within the NYPD. 

Dr. Brown continues to provide services through her private practice and has promoted wellness by founding the NYPD Equestrian Club, an official club of the NYPD Sports Unit. 

 

“I am motivated to open even more doors for myself—doors that I will leave open for those who come behind me.” 

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