Receiving a Notice of Proposed Disqualification (NOPD) can leave a police candidate feeling blindsided. After completing exams, interviews, evaluations, and other stages of the hiring process, the candidate may suddenly be asked to defend their judgment, health, history, or ability to serve.
Disqualification Appeals works with candidates facing this uncertainty. The firm is led by Robert B. Kronenberg, Esq., a former New York City Police Department captain who became an attorney and has represented law enforcement candidates in disqualification matters since 2005. His experience gives candidates guidance from someone who understands police work and the appeal process that may stand between them and the career they are working toward.
From NYPD Captain to Disqualification Appeal Lawyer
Before becoming an attorney, Robert Kronenberg served with the NYPD and rose to the rank of captain. He later attended the Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, where he graduated magna cum laude and placed third in his class. He also served as an assistant editor of the Touro Law Review and worked as a criminal law teaching assistant.
Kronenberg now represents candidates pursuing positions with the NYPD, Nassau County Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies. His practice includes cases involving psychological disqualifications, medical disqualifications, and character disqualifications.
Understanding the Person Behind the Notice
A Notice of Proposed Disqualification focuses on concerns identified during the hiring process. Those concerns may involve psychological testing, treatment history, a medical condition, employment records, finances, driving history, legal matters, or statements made during an interview.
Candidates may read the notice as a judgment about who they are rather than a determination about information in their file. They may feel embarrassed, frustrated, or discouraged, especially when they believe that an event was misunderstood or that the department did not have enough context.
How Police Experience Can Help Guide an Appeal
A former NYPD captain, like Robert B. Kronenberg, understands that police agencies evaluate candidates for positions involving significant responsibility. An appeal must therefore do more than state that the candidate disagrees with the proposed decision.
A candidate facing a proposed psychological disqualification may need to address testing results, treatment history, medication use, employment concerns, or perceived inconsistencies. A proposed medical disqualification may require updated records or information from an appropriate healthcare provider. A proposed character disqualification may involve explanations and documentation related to employment, finances, driving, prior conduct, or disclosures made during the application process.
The appropriate response depends on the individual notice. Our team reviews the stated findings and available records to determine which information may help clarify the candidate’s history and qualifications. Kronenberg’s police background provides additional context for understanding why an agency may view certain issues as significant and how an appeal can directly address any concerns that are raised.
Guidance Matters During an Uncertain Process
Kronenberg’s police and legal experience can also help determine whether the available record supports moving forward. Not every case presents the same options, and meaningful guidance includes being honest about what those options are, even in the occasional case where circumstances do not support moving forward.
For example, one reviewer contacted Kronenberg about appealing an NYPD rejection. After reviewing the psychologist’s report, Kronenberg declined the case and shredded the $5,000 check rather than cash it because he did not believe the appeal could succeed.¹
That same candor matters throughout the process. Kronenberg helps candidates pursue appropriate options while communicating clearly about the strengths, limitations, and realistic direction of the case. He represents candidates when he believes he can provide meaningful assistance and is equally honest when he doesn’t think he can help. Though prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, direct guidance matters during an appeal, even when the assessment is difficult to hear.
Speak With an NYPD Disqualification Appeal Lawyer
Robert B. Kronenberg and the Disqualification Appeals team represent police candidates in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, as well as Nassau County and Suffolk County.
Our team helps candidates understand the concerns identified in a Notice of Proposed Disqualification and determine which records, evaluations, and explanations may be relevant. Robert B. Kronenberg brings the perspective of a retired NYPD captain and an experienced NOPD lawyer to each review.
Contact Disqualification Appeals to discuss your proposed psychological disqualification, proposed medical disqualification, or proposed character disqualification and review the available next steps.
Sources
1 – Lawyer.com, “Robert B. Kronenberg Attorney at Law,” review by Yehiel Dov, December 31, 2019 https://www.lawyer.com/firm/robert-b-kronenberg-attorney-at-law-ny.html