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NYC correction officer charged with falsely recording that 74 officers completed a suicide prevention course
By
Matt Katz
Published Jun 23, 2023
Modified Jun 24, 2023
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rblfmr / Shutterstock
By
Matt Katz
Published Jun 23, 2023
Modified Jun 24, 2023
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Amid an escalating rate of suicides at Rikers Island in 2021, Bronx prosecutors say a correction officer falsified records to show that 74 officers took a suicide prevention training course that they didn’t actually take.
Vinette Tucker-Frederick, a 41-year-old officer who has worked with the Department of Correction for nine years, was charged Friday with tampering with public records, identity theft and official misconduct. A Department of Correction spokesperson said Tucker-Frederick has been suspended indefinitely without pay.
Gothamist reported in October of last year that fewer than one in five city correction officers took a mandated course on preventing suicide over the prior 12 months. The lack of training coincided with a spike in detainee deaths by suicide. Twelve people died by suicide in city jails in 2021 and 2022, according to city records, compared to five in the preceding six years combined.
In May 2021, Tucker-Frederick allegedly gave a group of officers the log-in information for officers who were out on leave, and instructed the group to take the computerized suicide prevention training course for their colleagues who were not at work.
“Scores of officers unknowingly were credited with taking the training despite the fact that they weren’t even on Rikers Island, some were in the hospital undergoing surgery, caring for seriously ill loved ones, or nursing their newborn children,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said in a statement.
The Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, the union representing DOC officers, said it would defend Tucker-Frederick against the charges.
"Our Correction Officer, like everyone else, is innocent until proven guilty and should be afforded her right to due process without a rush to judgment," said COBA president Benny Boscio in a written statement. "We will provide her with legal representation and vigorously defend her rights."
Since 2021, the percentage of officers taking suicide prevention courses has increased, according to the Department of Correction. As of Friday, 68% of uniformed staff have taken the annual suicide refresher course, though a spokesperson noted that number is always in flux.
Every correction officer recruit also gets nearly 10 hours of suicide prevention training at the academy when they first join the department. And a new video on self-harm produced by the Department of Correction is shown during officer roll calls, a spokesperson said.
“This act was the kind of egregious behavior that was tolerated in the past and has no place in this administration,” said Commissioner Louis Molina, who was hired in 2022, in a statement. “Suicide prevention training is critical for any public safety organization and especially for a correctional facility. We continue to push this important training to all of our employees and will hold everyone accountable.”
The Board of Correction oversight agency found last year that correction officers’ failure to inspect cells, administer first aid, and screen incarcerated people for mental health needs played a role in the spate of suicides in 2021. Video surveillance indicated that officers reported in logbooks that they had checked on people in custody, when in fact they hadn’t, the board said.
Suicides are the leading cause of jail deaths around the country.
This story has been updated with comment from the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association.
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone; remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt; and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.
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Matt Katz
Matt Katz is a former WNYC & Gothamist reporter.
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