February 12, 1999

Last year, when an MGH nurse was being harassed by an ex-boyfriend in violation of a restraining order, it wasn't the Boston Police who nabbed him – it was the MGH Special Investigations Unit (SIU). As members of the MGH Police and Security Department, the SIU investigators obtained proof of the illegal behavior through handwriting analysis of threatening letters the nurse received at home. Thanks to the SIU's determination to help an MGH employee, the harasser was prosecuted and now is in jail.

This was all in a day's work for the three investigators who staff the SIU and the Police and Security team of approximately 100 employees who are trained to back them up with initial investigative activities and follow-up. But this was not always the case. Before the SIU was established in 1992, MGH employees had few options when being harassed in the workplace or at home.

According to Police and Security records, only two such cases per month were reported before 1992. Now, Police and Security receives 12 to 14 such calls per week, and the SIU works on 125 investigation cases per month. Has there been a drastic increase in harassment and violence at the MGH? According to Bonnie Michelman, director of MGH Police and Security, that isn't necessarily the case.

"The actual number of serious incidents for an organization this size is extremely low," says Michelman. "What isn't low is the number of reports, and that is because employees, patients and visitors feel confident that their reports will be taken seriously. There are many services we can offer to ensure that something will be done."

According to John Daley, managing investigator of the SIU, the calls that come in to the unit run the gamut from graffiti, fraud, theft and embezzlement to sexual harassment, domestic violence and threatening phone calls. "All calls are treated in the same way," says Daley. "We don't just write a report and file it away. We try to identify the problem and work proactively with the employee or patient to find the best solution for everyone involved."

When the SIU receives a report from an employee or patient, the investigators make an initial risk assessment, then conduct a thorough background check on the suspect, develop a customized safety plan and help the victim prepare for future harassment attempts.

When needed, SIU investigators conduct security surveys and risk assessments at the victim's workplace and at home if the situation is serious. A safety plan is designed and implemented to protect the victim at home and work – for example, changing locks or installing panic buttons in offices or cubicles. Victims who feel particularly unsafe can be escorted to and from the hospital.

To help victims through the often overwhelming process of taking legal action or simply maneuvering through the court system, SIU investigators can assist with filing charges, obtaining restraining orders, escorting victims to court, filling out necessary paperwork and talking with lawyers and state prosecutors. MGH Police and Security officers escorted several hundred employees to court
last year.

According to Michelman, employees and patients can be assured that the SIU services are confidential and tailored to the individual's needs. The SIU staff often work with other hospital departments – such as the Employee Assistance Program, Patient Advocacy, Risk Management, General Counsel and the domestic violence program HAVEN (Hospitals Helping Abuse and Violence End Now) – to help victims.

SIU investigators also conduct educational seminars to help employees and staff understand security issues before problems escalate to unmanageable levels. These seminars include: "Personal Safety," "Workplace Violence" and "Managing Aggression."

"We encourage MGHers to let us know about potential problems sooner rather than later," says Michelman. "Even if there is just a slight suspicion of a problem, it is important to let Police and Security know. Once it is too late, our options are limited. We sincerely care about ensuring the safety of all of our employees and staff."

For more information about the SIU and its services, call 4-3036. 

From left, SIU investigators James Leonard, Jennifer Goba and John Daley with Bonnie Michelman, director of  MGH
Police and Security.