Donald Cragen

**Captain Donald Cragen** is a retired NYPD Captain and a former commanding officer of the Manhattan North Homicide Squad and the Manhattan Special Victims Unit.

## History

### On L&O

In Cragen's early years, Cragen served as a Green Beret during the Vietnam War. After the Vietnam War, he went to the police academy and became a police officer. However, Cragen was a recovering alcoholic and he quit drinking in the early 1980s after pulling a weapon on a cab driver while intoxicated and has been sober ever since. Cragen was eventually promoted to homicide detective and was partnered with Detective Max Greevey. In 1989, Cragen was promoted to commanding officer of the 27th precinct. He worked with Greevey, Phil Cerreta, Mike Logan and Lennie Briscoe.

During his time at the 27th precinct, Cragen was investigated for being part of a money laundering scheme within the NYPD but was eventually discovered to be innocent after he exposed his former mentor, Peter O'Farrell as the real criminal. This investigation made him many enemies within the department, which prevented him from being promoted higher than the rank of Captain. In 1993, Cragen transferred to the Anti-Corruption Task Force and was replaced by Anita Van Buren. In 1995, he was then transferred to Homicide where he worked as a detective before transferring to the Special Victims Unit. He was a detective in Homicide from 1995 until his promotion in 1998/1999 to Captain in the SVU.

### On SVU

In 1999, Cragen's wife, Marge, was killed in a plane crash while working as a flight attendant. After her death, Cragen became the commanding officer of the Manhattan Special Victims Unit and was the boss of Olivia Benson, Elliot Stabler, John Munch, Monique Jeffries, Odafin Tutuola, Brian Cassidy, Dani Beck, Chester Lake, Amanda Rollins and Nick Amaro. His experiences with alcoholism led him to have more understanding when his detectives made mistakes, especially Rollins gambling addiction.

In 2011, Stabler shot a young girl at the precinct after she started a mass shooting against the men who were involved in her mother's rape and killing. Cragen hired new detectives, Rollins and Amaro, to replace Stabler. However, Stabler did not return to the Special Victims Unit and handed Cragen his resignation papers. Cragen then broke the news to Benson about Stabler's resignation and Benson went to a private room where she cried because her partner left.

In 2012, Cragen was accused of the murder of a prostitute named Carissa Gibson. After enough evidence was gained, Cragen was arrested for her murder and imprisoned. It was later revealed that he was being set up by Delia Wilson, a sex trafficker that the Special Victims Unit had been investigating for quite some time. Cragen was released from prison and his record was cleared and he became the commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit once again.

In 2014, Cragen promoted Benson to sergeant and retired from the NYPD to spend more time with his new girlfriend, Eileen Switzer. After his retirement, Eileen and Cragen travelled around the world together. In 2015, Cragen returned to assist the Special Victims Unit during their reinvestigation into a rape of a woman that happened when Cragen was commanding officer of the Manhattan North Homicide Squad.

In 2021, after a podcaster tries to release and exonerate Ian Ridley for the murder of his high school girlfriend, Benson and the team including Amaro set up a video conference with Cragen to get more information about the case. While on a private call with Benson, Cragen expresses his pride towards Benson's promotion to captain.

## On OC

### Season 2

While searching for the truth behind his father's legacy, Stabler reunites with Cragen after showing up at his door. Cragen claimed that he didn't know Stabler's father very well but he said that Joseph was a tough man who was in a tough situation. Cragen claimed that there were bad cops but that was the world that his father lived in. However, Cragen said that Joseph was a good cop back in the day and that maybe he gave Stabler his medal because he wanted him to be a better cop than he ever was. (OC: "Can't Knock The Hustle")

After Bell revealed to Stabler that he will be awarded the Combat Cross for his effort on taking down Donnelly for his crimes, Stabler's award ceremony was proudly attended by Cragen and the of Stabler's family. After Stabler accepted his award, Cragen gave Stabler a celebratory hug. (OC: "Friend Or Foe")

## Appearances

* Law & Order: Special Victims Unit:
	+ Season 1: "Payback" • "A Single Life" • "...Or Just Look Like One" • "Hysteria" • "Wanderlust" • "Sophomore Jinx" • "Uncivilized" • "Stalked" •"Stocks & Bondage" • "Closure (Part I)" • "Bad Blood" • "Russian Love Poem" • "Disrobed" • "Limitations" • "Entitled" • "The Third Guy" • "Misleader" • "Chat Room" • "Contact" • "Remorse" • "Nocturne" • "Slaves"
	+ Season 2: "Wrong Is Right" • "Honor" • "Closure (Part II)" • "Legacy" • "Baby Killer" • "Noncompliance" • "Asunder" • "Taken" • "Pixies" • "Consent" • "Abuse" • "Secrets" • "Victims" • "Paranoia" • "Countdown" • "Runaway" • "Folly" • "Manhunt" • "Parasites" • "Pique" • "Scourge"
	+ Season 3: "Repression" • "Wrath" • "Stolen" • "Rooftop" • "Tangled" • "Redemption" • "Sacrifice" • "Inheritance" • "Care" • "Ridicule" • "Monogamy" • "Protection" • "Prodigy" • "Counterfeit" • "Execution" • "Popular" • "Surveillance" • "Guilt" • "Justice" • "Greed" • "Denial" • "Competence" • "Silence"
	+ Season 4: "Chameleon" • "Deception" • "Vulnerable" • "Lust" • "Disappearing Acts" • "Angels" • "Dolls" • "Waste" • "Juvenile" • "Resilience" • "Damaged" • "Risk" • "Rotten" • "Mercy" • "Pandora" • "Tortured" • "Privilege" • "Desperate" • "Appearances" • "Dominance" • "Fallacy" • "Futility" • "Grief" • "Perfect" • "Soulless"
	+ Season 5: "Tragedy" • "Manic" • "Mother" • "Loss" • "Serendipity" • "Coerced" • "Choice" • "Abomination" • "Control" • "Shaken" • "Escape" • "Brotherhood" • "Hate" • "Ritual" • "Families" • "Home" • "Mean" • "Careless" • "Sick" • "Lowdown" • "Criminal" • "Painless" • "Bound" • "Poison" • "Head"
	+ Season 6: "Birthright" • "Debt" • "Obscene" • "Scavenger" • "Outcry" • "Conscience" • "Charisma" • "Doubt" • "Weak" • "Haunted" • "Contagious" • "Identity" • "Quarry" • "Game" • "Hooked" • "Ghost" • "Rage" • "Pure" • "Intoxicated" • "Night" • "Blood" • "Parts" • "Goliath"
	+ Season 7: "Demons" • "Design" • "911" • "Ripped" • "Strain" • "Raw" • "Starved" • "Rockabye" • "Storm" • "Alien" • "Infected" • "Blast" • "Taboo" • "Manipulated" • "Gone" • "Class" • "Venom" • "Fault" • "Fat" • "Web" • "Influence"
	+ Season 8: "Informed" • "Clock" • "Recall" • "Uncle" • "Infiltrated" • "Underbelly" • "Cage" • "Choreographed" • "Burned" • "Outsider" • "Loophole" • "Dependent" • "Haystack" • "Philadelphia" • "Sin" • "Responsible" • "Florida" • "Annihilated" • "Pretend" • "Screwed"
	+ Season 9: "Alternate" • "Avatar" • "Impulsive" • "Savant" • "Harm" • "Svengali" • "Blinded" • "Fight" • "Paternity" • "Snitch" • "Streetwise" • "Signature" • "Unorthodox" • "Inconceivable" • "Undercover" • "Closet" • "Authority" • "Trade" • "Cold"
	+ Season 10: "Trials" • "Confession" • "Swing" • "Lunacy" • "Retro" • "Babes" • "Wildlife" • "Persona" • "PTSD" • "Smut" • "Stranger" • "Hothouse" • "Snatched" • "Transitions" • "Lead" • "Ballerina" • "Hell" • "Baggage" • "Selfish" • "Crush" • "Liberties" • "Zebras"
	+ Season 11: "Unstable" • "Sugar" • "Solitary" • "Hammered" • "Hardwired" • "Spooked" • "Users" • "Turmoil" • "Perverted" • "Anchor" • "Quickie" • "Shadow" • "P.C." • "Savior" • "Confidential" • "Witness" • "Disabled" • "Bedtime" • "Conned" • "Beef" • "Torch" • "Ace" • "Wannabe" • "Shattered"
	+ Season 12: "Locum" • "Bullseye" • "Behave" • "Merchandise" • "Wet" • "Branded" • "Trophy" • "Penetration" • "Rescue" • "Pop" • "Mask" • "Dirty" • "Flight" • "Spectacle" • "Pursuit" • "Bombshell" • "Delinquent"
	+ Season 13: "Scorched Earth" • "Personal Fouls" • "Blood Brothers" • "Double Strands" • "Missing Pieces" • "Russian Brides" • "Lost Traveler" • "Spiraling Down" • "Theatre Tricks" • "Official Story" • "Father's Shadow" • "Home Invasions" • "Hunting Ground" • "Child's Welfare" • "Justice Denied" • "Valentine's Day" • "Street Revenge" • "Strange Beauty" • "Rhodium Nights"
	+ Season 14: "Lost Reputation" • "Above Suspicion" • "Acceptable Loss" • "Manhattan Vigil" • "Friending Emily" • "Vanity's Bonfire" • "Dreams Deferred" • "Monster's Legacy" • "Secrets Exhumed" • "Deadly Ambition" • "Legitimate Rape" • "Born Psychopath" • "Girl Dishonored" • "Poisoned Motive" • "Brief Interlude" • "Her Negotiation"
	+ Season 15: "Surrender Benson" • "Imprisoned Lives" • "Internal Affairs • "Wonderland Story" • "Military Justice" • "Rapist Anonymous" • "Psycho/Therapist" • "Amaro's One-Eighty"
	+ Season 16: "Perverted Justice"
	+ Season 23: "The Five Hundredth Episode"
* Exiled: A Law & Order Movie
* Law & Order:
	+ Season 1: "Prescription for Death" • "Subterranean Homeboy Blues" • "The Reaper's Helper" • "Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die" • "Happily Ever After" • "Everybody's Favorite Bagman" • "Poison Ivy" • "Indifference" • "Prisoner of Love" • "Out of the Half-Light" • "Life Choice" • "A Death in the Family" • "The Violence of Summer" • "The Torrents of Greed (1)" • "The Torrents of Greed (2)" • "Mushrooms" • "The Secret Sharers" • "The Serpent's Tooth" • "The Troubles" • "Sonata for Solo Organ" • "The Blue Wall"
	+ Season 2: "Confession" • "The Wages of Love" • "Aria" • "Asylum" • "God Bless the Child" • "Misconception" • "In Memory Of..." • "Out of Control" • "Renunciation" • "Heaven" • "His Hour Upon the Stage" • "Star Struck" • "Severance" • "Blood Is Thicker..." • "Trust" • "Vengeance" • "Sisters of Mercy" • "Cradle to Grave" • "The Fertile Fields" • "Intolerance" • "Silence" • "The Working Stiff"
	+ Season 3: "Skin Deep" • "Conspiracy" • "Forgiveness" • "The Corporate Veil" • "Wedded Bliss" • "Helpless" • "Self Defense" • "Prince of Darkness" • "Point of View" • "Consultation" • "Extended Family" • "Right to Counsel" • "Night and Fog" • "Promises to Keep" • "Mother Love" • "Jurisdiction" • "Conduct Unbecoming" • "Animal Instinct" • "Virus" • "Securitate" • "Manhood" • "Benevolence"
	+ Season 5: "Bad Faith"
	+ Season 10: "Entitled"
	+ Season 15: "Fixed"

* Law & Order: Organized Crime
	+ Season 2: "Can't Knock The Hustle" • "Friend Or Foe"