The sixteenth season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit debuted on Wednesday, September 24, 2014, at 9pm/8c (Eastern), and concluded on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, on NBC. Production Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was renewed for a sixteenth season on May 7, 2014, by NBC. and premiered on September 24, 2014. Production on the season commenced on May 22, with the shooting of first episode, entitled "Girls Disappeared", completed in early June. A second episode was also completed during June with the third scheduled episode being pushed back until after the production hiatus to give rest to the cast and crew. Executive producer Warren Leight revealed that the sixteenth season would follow the events of the previous season finale, with Detective Nick Amaro (Danny Pino) "sent to the bowels of Queens to do traffic stops". Prior to the conclusion of the fifteenth season and hence Sergeant Olivia Benson's (Mariska Hargitay) fostering of baby Noah Porter, Raúl Esparza (Rafael Barba) revealed that, "Benson has a very big, life-changing event take place for her, which I think is gonna last for a while...she might make some choices that are really gonna change her life." NBC President Robert Greenblatt announced that Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, and also Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, could continue to have crossover episodes during the 2014–15 season. The episode entitled "Chicago Crossover" aired on November 12, 2014, as part of a crossover between Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, and SVU. Additionally, the episode entitled "Daydream Believer", served as the second crossover with the three aforementioned shows. Cast Main cast Mariska Hargitay as Sergeant Olivia Benson Danny Pino as Police Officer / Junior / Senior Detective Nick Amaro Kelli Giddish as Junior Detective Amanda Rollins Ice-T as Senior Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola Peter Scanavino as Junior Detective Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, Jr. Raúl Esparza as Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba Special guest stars Tamara Tunie as Medical Examiner Dr. Melinda Warner Dann Florek as Donald "Don" Cragen Crossover stars Jason Beghe as Chicago Police Department Sergeant Hank Voight (Crossing over with Chicago P.D.) Sophia Bush as Chicago Police Department Detective Erin Lindsay (Crossing over with Chicago P.D.) Jesse Lee Soffer as Chicago Police Department Detective Jay Halstead (Crossing over with Chicago P.D.) Marina Squerciati as Chicago Police Department Officer Kim Burgess (Crossing over with Chicago P.D.) Brian Geraghty as Chicago Police Department Officer Sean Roman (Crossing over with