Police Misconduct

POLICE MISCONDUCT IN NEW YORK CITY

The NYPD—”New York’s Finest”—are sworn to serve and protect the public, and the majority of officers are sincere in carrying out this mission. Unfortunately, a small percentage of cops in our city abuse the position of authority and power with which they have been entrusted. Police brutality has been under fire in the media lately with the New York Police Department being closely watched for any form of misconduct or maltreatment of detained individuals.

If you have been the victim of any type of police misconduct, you deserve zealous legal representation to help you assert your rights and claim financial compensation for the wrongs that you have suffered. There is no one better suited to represent your case than an NYC personal injury lawyer at Greenberg & Stein, P.C.

Holding NYC Law Enforcement Officers Accountable

Police misconduct is a major problem in our city, so much so that the municipal government created the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board nearly 20 years ago, and the board is tasked with the duty of investigating complaints against the NYPD.

The CCRB focuses on 4 types of misconduct, including excessive use of force, abuse of authority, discourtesy and offensive language, and it received a total of 19,845 allegations in 2010 alone. Abuse of authority was by far the most common, accounting for nearly half, followed in order of prevalence by force, discourtesy, and offensive language.

Per capita, the Bronx had the highest rate of complaints about police misconduct.

Brooklyn was the site of 35% of complaints

The Bronx was the site of 26% of complaints

Queens was the site of 17% of complaints

Manhattan was the site of 13% of complaints

Staten Island was the site of 4% complaints

While the CCRB does excellent work in carrying out its responsibilities, it takes them approximately 350 days to complete the average investigation. If you are serious about securing justice with minimum delay, it is in your best interests to retain private legal representation.

You can file a complaint in any of the following ways:

  • Filing in person at their New York City location
  • Calling the department directly
  • Writing a letter of complaint to the Board
  • Filing a complaint directly with a NYPD precinct, which will then be forwarded to the Civilian Complaint Review Board
  • Online through the website complaint form

Understanding the Investigative Process

After a complaint is filed, the team at the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board will ask to speak with you in person to receive a statement. This statement will include a thorough review of what happened when you were arrested, the alleged misconduct and will require the exact time, date and location that the incident took place.

The Board will also gather necessary witness statements and review any evidence that was used in your arrest, trial or prosecution. It is important to note that when a complaint is filed, the officer that was involved in your complaint will be interviewed. After all the interviews, evidence gathering and witness statements have been collected the Board will come to a conclusion about your complaint.

Contact a New York City police misconduct attorney from our firm for the help that you need and deserve.

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