"Steffen at the 6th Pct." BEHIND THE SCENES: A Photographic Look into the NYPD By Steffen A. Kaplan “This project had its genesis in the summer of 1991, shortly after I graduated from college and delved into the realm of photojournalism. What started with a simple picture of a cop on the streets has evolved into a photojournalistic study of the NYPD. As the son of a police officer (my mother was one of the first female police officers in the NYPD assigned to radio car patrol duty in 1973), I was surrounded by cops. I also grew up in Greenwich Village, home of the 6th Precinct. Over the years, I got to know the police officers of the 6th and eventually received permission to take part in a series of ride-alongs, accompanying the police officers in their radio patrol cars, answering real-life emergency calls. My knowledge of ‘The Job’ quickly expanded after spending many daytime and evening tours with the brave men and women of the 6th Precinct. In the course of documenting their work, I have had the privilege of meeting and working with some of the finest and most caring professionals from precincts, units, and divisions all over New York City. When I was not out on a patrol ride-along, I used two police radio scanners – and a lot of leg work – that alerted me to all kinds of police ‘jobs’ and emergencies. With my cameras in hand, I became an expert, navigating the streets of the city, capturing everything from domestic disputes to river rescues. I began to show up so much that I was constantly recognized and accepted by the police officers I was photographing. I soon realized that I had earned the mutual respect and trust from them that, years later, still enables me to document the rare behind-the-scenes moments that define being a New York City Police Officer.” Steffen A. Kaplan Steffen A. Kaplan is a freelance photojournalist and supervising Photo Editor for the New York Times News Services. His work has been published in the New York Times, New York Newsday, the Daily News, and numerous law enforcement magazines and journals nationwide. His photographs are part of the permanent archives at the Museum of the City of New York and also appear in the opening montage of the NBC drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Steffen is a graduate of Baruch College, earning a B.A. in Political Science.

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