Amid a series of protests following the murder of George Floyd two years ago, a series of video shows police officers acting aggressively towards protesters – rushing into crowds and sometimes punching or shoving people to the ground – prompted a flood of complaints about their behavior to an independent watchdog.
Now, after a lengthy review of a mountain of evidence that includes many of those recordings, the agency said Wednesday that 145 city police officers must be disciplined for misconduct during police raids. demonstrations, drawing thousands of people to the streets in all five districts.
The agency, the Civil Complaints Review Board, says it has found supporting evidence for 267 allegations of misconduct against Officer. For about 60% of them, it recommends the highest level of discipline, which can lead to administrative trial and loss of leave, suspension or termination.
At the time, the police response to the protests drew widespread criticism from human rights groups and the public. That year, the city’s investigative department noticed that some officers used offending tactics Opponents’ First Amendment rights and “excessive enforcement” often heighten existing tensions.
As the protests continued, the review panel began reviewing more than 750 complaints about the officers’ actions.
Among the charges the review panel found were a number of high profile incidents, including against three officers. who have been recorded on video driving their car into a crowd of protesters and against several others for using their bicycles as weapons against the protesters.
The Police Department said that the cases were isolated, and pointed to examples of protesters injuring officers. The previous commissioner, Dermot F. Shea, said in a Interview in 2020 told the Bureau of Investigation that the officers “did an extraordinary job under exceptionally difficult circumstances,” while saying there were “several instances” where their conduct was inappropriate.
The deadline for investigations into the complaints expired earlier this month.
The review board has said its investigation was hampered by the Department’s lack of cooperation. In addition, about one in four cases that were fully investigated were closed because an officer could not be identified, as some masked their names and wore a shield or other officer’s protective gear, the review board said. said.
Police believe that some officers share helmets and equipment to protect each other, not to shirk responsibility.
The wave of misconduct reports after the Floyd protests is reviving a long debate on whether police commissioners should retain final authority over officer discipline.
The review board advises the department on what disciplinary action it believes is appropriate for incidents where the agency demonstrates a complaint against an officer. But recommendations for the ultimate level of punishment are often met with more lenient punishments from the ministry.
Of the approximately 40 cases related to the protests that the department ended up investigating, it waived discipline for 23 officers and chose not to follow the review board’s recommendations in seven other cases. The police and the review board agreed on the punishment for 10 officers.
Advocates of police accountability have long said that the review board does not exercise enough power to effectively oversee the police department. While the group’s responsibilities have recently expanded to include new types of claims, including reporting of race or bias in sexual misconduct and control, investigators often rely on into the department’s cooperation to access evidence such as body camera recording.
Arva Rice, the watchdog’s interim chair, said that review panel members pushed lawmakers to improve access to police records and exempt them from laws governing the use of police records. sealed case. “We hope to get support from city and state legislatures on these issues,” she said.
Christopher Dunn, the legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said Mayor Eric Adams’ lack of comment on the review board’s role in holding officers accountable was “in itself a mistake.” It’s a huge message.”
“The city failed the test here,” he said. “It sends a clear message to the public that police misconduct is not a priority for this administration. And it sends an even more troubling message to the police department that they can get away with abuse. “
Mr Adams has previously responded to similar criticism by saying he has been clear about finding a balance between both public safety and demands for justice, and that he will not allow officers to breach the law or behave rudely stay in force.
The department said in December that it adopted more than two dozen recommendations from protest policy reports, including developing policies around tactics such as mass arrests and tomato sauceas officers surrounded the protesters, blocking their exits and storming in to make arrests.
Even if the review board’s investigation ends, the consequences from the protests are expected to linger. The Department is still investigating many cases. And a series of lawsuits alleging police abuse have continued to be fiercely fought in the courts. Faculty of Law recently fired an attorney over her treatment of cases.
