NYPD, Civilian Complaint Review Board Agree On Process To Discipline Officers
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The NYPD has agreed to a new way of handling officer misconduct, but there are critics on both sides.
With two signatures, it's a done deal in the midst of mounting pressure and calls for police reform.
"This is not a symbolic moment. This is a historic moment," NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said.
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After two years of negotiations, the NYPD and its oversight agency, the Civilian Complaint Review Board, agreed on a process to discipline officers.
It includes a framework that outlines the penalties for various offenses.
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The NYPD will provide the review board, commonly called the CCRB, more timely access to an officer's employment history to review their case.
When there's proven misconduct, disciplinary measures will be made public.
"If three officers commit to the same act of misconduct, the same three officers should be disciplined accordingly," said Dr. Darrin Porcher, a former NYPD lieutenant.
A departure from the past.
This agreement – that's not a law – aims to add more transparency.
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But while the CCRB makes discipline recommendations, the police commissioner still has the final say and can make a different decision.
That remains a real point of contention.
"I think the closer we can get to, to the CCRB's decisions being final, the better I think we'll feel," CCRB Chair Frederick Davie said.
The Police Benevolent Association calls the agreement "a political prop ... making it harder for cops to do our jobs."
PBA President Patrick Lynch released the following statement: "Police officers want to see fairness and consistency in the NYPD disciplinary process. Mayor de Blasio's use of the NYPD disciplinary matrix as a political prop is the direct opposite of that goal. Rather than allowing police discipline to follow the facts, he is chasing the news cycle and once again making it harder for cops to do our job."
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"If you don't have the buy-in from the unions, this is something that's still going to move forward," Porcher said.
Because demands for reform have moved from the streets to the capital as pressure mounts to build trust and increase accountability.
The NYPD and CCRB say they will meet every year to determine what more needs to be done.
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