There have been no substantiated instances of biased policing from New York City police between 2014 and 2018, according to a New York City Department of Investigation report released Wednesday.
There were 2,495 recorded complaints from the public concerning claims of demographically discriminatory policing on behalf of the New York City Police Department from 2014 to the end of 2018, according to a report the Department of Investigation and NYPD’s Inspector General Philip Eure conducted, the New York Post reported.
“NYPD officials confirmed in June 2019 that the Department has never substantiated an allegation of biased policing,” the report says.
The Department of Investigation looked into 888 of the complaints from over two and a half years of the total five years, reportedly finding that there were problems with how the NYPD was investigating and tracking the cases.
“Biased policing, actual or perceived, undermines the core value of equal treatment under the law and also poses a threat to public safety because racial profiling and other types of biased policing undermine the public’s confidence and trust in law enforcement,” Eure said in a press statement. (RELATED: NYPD Saves Engagement Ring From The Bowels Of Times Square)
New York City police officers pause as they visit a makeshift memorial at the site where two of their fellow police officers were fatally shot in the Brooklyn borough of New York, December 23, 2014. EUTERS/Mike Segar
“NYPD must ensure that these complaints are thoroughly investigated and tracked. In addition, the independent CCRB should expand its authority to investigate biased policing complaints filed with that agency,” he continued.
Up to 68% of complaints concerned allegations of racial or ethnic biases, and 66.5% of complaints came from the black community, the report found. Some complaints concerned alleged bias of sexual orientation, gender, age and citizenship status, among others.
“Establishing effective and fair processes for the investigation of biased policing allegations is a fundamental component of the police department’s relationship with the public, helping to build trust and confidence. The findings in this Report can provide guidance to ensuring that NYPD and all entities involved in these investigations are working together and sharing data,” DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said in a statement.
The report makes 24 recommendations for the NYPD as well as the Civilian Complaint Review Board to improve the way in which complaints of police biases are addressed and handled.
The NYPD released a statement responding to the report, saying, “The NYPD understands that constitutional, biased-free policing is foundational to building community trust and keeping New York City even safer.”
“Whether enhancing training for officers; outfitting all 22,000 patrol cops with body-worn cameras; or dramatically reducing stop-question-frisk, every change is designed to bring police and community closer together,” it continues.
The statement says the cases examined by the Department of Investigation do not represent the majority of police interactions with the community and that false conclusions are being drawn from the report’s results.
“And while the OIG highlighted a number of bias policing allegations, the OIG itself did not identify a single allegation out of the 888 they reviewed that they believe should have been substantiated on the basis of the available evidence – underscoring the difficulty in proving these allegations,” the statement said.
The NYPD said it will move forward by considering and implementing “many of the recommendations contained in the Report.”
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