Office of Chief Medical Examiner Marks Year of Accomplishments for Public Health and Safety of New Yorkers
December 20, 2024
Sustained Achievements in Forensic Science and Medicine Supported Progress in the Fight Against Overdose Deaths and Gun Violence
NEW YORK – The Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) today announced a series of accomplishments for public health and safety to mark the conclusion of the year. Working 24/7 to serve New Yorkers during times of profound need, OCME sustained progress in forensic science and medicine to support the vision of the Adams administration for a healthier and safer New York City throughout 2024.
“From day one, our administration has focused on creating a safer, more affordable New York City. In 2024, we continued to deliver on that vision and ‘Get Stuff Done’ for working-class New Yorkers,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Thanks to our extraordinary public servants, America’s safest big city got even safer this year, with overall crime down and thousands of illegal guns, mopeds, and ghost cars taken off city streets. We passed historic legislation to turn New York into a ‘City of Yes,’ shattered affordable housing records once again, and put billions of dollars back into New Yorkers’ pockets. We broke records for the most jobs and small businesses in city history and moved millions of trash bags off our sidewalks and into containers. But we know that there is even more we can do to continue to uplift working-class families. As we look to the future, our administration remains committed to keeping New Yorkers safe and making our city more affordable for the millions of New Yorkers who call our city home.”
“As this year comes to a close, the dedicated public servants at OCME look back with gratitude for the ongoing opportunity to do what we do best – serve all the communities of New York City at the most difficult times,” said Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jason Graham. “While this solemn but rewarding work is not without its challenges, the employees of OCME continue to make progress for public health and safety in support of the goals of the Adams administration. I am proud of the team at OCME and the resilience they have shown throughout 2024.”
Highlights from the past year at OCME include the following achievements.
Reducing Overdose Deaths with Faster Analysis and Family Outreach: Bolstered by investments from the Adams administration, the OCME Forensic Toxicology Laboratory reduced its turnaround time for analysis of fatal drug overdose cases by nearly 50 percent to 40 days, ensuring timely and accurate data for the public health and justice systems as the number of overdose deaths in the city decreased slightly for the first time in four years. In addition, previous investments continued to sustain the growth of the OCME Drug Intelligence and Intervention Group (DIIG), which offers tailored support to surviving family members when a loved one dies from a drug overdose. Since 2022, the DIIG initiative has successfully reached nearly 2,500 close contacts of individuals who died from overdose and provided three quarters of those reached with direct support services and referrals to potentially life-saving interventions.
Fighting Gun Violence with Breakthroughs in Forensic Science: The first-in-the-nation DNA Gun Crimes Unit, announced by Mayor Adams in June 2022, consistently reached its goal of a 30-day turn-around time for testing evidence in gun crime cases, the fastest of any major jurisdiction in the country. Accelerated testing of evidence provides accurate, impartial, and timely information to the criminal justice system that can be used to convict the guilty and exonerate the innocent.
Keeping the Promise to Provide Answers for Families of Missing Persons: OCME upheld its pledge to use the most advanced forensic science to make identifications of missing persons, no matter how long it takes, to help bring closure for families. The agency and partners hosted two installments of NYC Missing Persons Day, including an event in Manhattan and the first-ever event in the Bronx, connecting more than two dozen families with confidential support and expert resources to help identify their long-term missing loved ones. OCME also continued work to identify the recovered remains of the 2,753 victims of the World Trade Center attacks of 2001, with John Ballantine Niven the 1,650th person to be identified through advanced DNA analysis.
Taking Down the Oldest Permitted Sidewalk Shed at a City-Owned Building: As part of the Adams administration’s “Get Sheds Down” initiative to remove long-standing sidewalk sheds, OCME achieved the removal of the oldest permitted sidewalk shed at a city-owned building, which had obscured the front of the Manhattan Forensic Pathology and Family Services Center in Kips Bay for nearly 15 years. While services at the location will move to the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay anticipated to open in 2031, the removal of the unsightly shed enhances quality of life for hundreds of employees and improves the experience for visitors to the building in the meantime.
Delivering Raises to Support Retention and Recruitment of Medical Examiners: While OCME continues to cope with the national shortage of medical examiners, the Adams administration reached a tentative five-year contract agreement with the Doctors Council Service Employees International Union (SEIU) that includes wage increases and bonuses for these highly skilled physicians serving families during the most difficult moments. The agreement will help OCME retain and recruit medical examiners who work at the intersection of public health and safety in New York City.
In addition to these accomplishments, OCME continued its mission to support public health and safety informed by its OCME CARES core values of Commitment, Accountability, Resilience, Excellence, and Service. As the nation’s largest and most comprehensive office of forensic science and medicine, OCME leads in training the next generation of forensic pathologists and serves as home to world-class, fully accredited laboratories, a renowned mass fatality management program, and investigators serving 24/7 to help New Yorkers at times of sudden loss and profound need.