Harvey Schlossberg

Schlossberg first worked as a traffic officer in the accident investigation unit. He was later moved to the Medical Bureau after commissioner Patrick V. Murphy learned that he had a doctorate in psychology. There, he performed emotional testing to assess the well-being of prospective and current colleagues in the NYPD, and was made director of psychological services in 1974.[1] He helped resolve the 1973 Brooklyn hostage crisis,[2] coined the term Stockholm syndrome,[3] and helped catch serial killer David Berkowitz.[1] The NYPD Hostage Negotiation Team was the brainchild of NYPD chief Simon Eisdorfer, with Schlossberg responsible for formulating the team’s strategy. He advocated containing a hostage situation to a restricted area, with police starting negotiations, keeping up communications with the hostage-takers, and gaining their trust in the hopes that they would change course and free their captives.[1] He trained over 70,000 crisis negotiators globally, and his theories were eventually adopted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.[4] Schlossberg was credited with helping to save over 40,000 lives globally with his tactics.[5]

During the 1973 Brooklyn hostage crisis, the longest in NYPD history,[6] twelve hostages were taken by four gunmen, who vowed to fight to the death. Schlossberg spent 14 hours assessing their psychology and advising NYPD officials on what to do next.[7] He called the hostage-takers' bluff when they requested a doctor and food, observing at the time how "if you’re worried about food, you don’t want to die."[1] The siege ultimately ended without any further deaths when the gunmen surrendered.[1][7]

Schlossberg authored his memoir Psychologist With A Gun (1974) with Lucy Freeman.[1] He was featured in the documentary film Hold Your Fire covering the 1973 siege. The documentary premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, won the Metropolis Award at Doc NYC, and was selected by Dr. Carla Hayden as the Grand Prize Winner of the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film in October 2020.[1][7]

After leaving the NYPD in 1978, Schlossberg served as chief psychologist for the Rye Police Department from 1988 to 1994, as well as for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from 1990 to 1999. He also went into academia, teaching at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice from 1974 to 1982.[1] He subsequently taught as an associate professor at St. John's University for 27 years.[1][7] During his later years, he resided in Forest Hills, Queens, where he also kept a private practice and hung a portrait of Sigmund Freud in his office.[1]