CPR Responds to Court Decision on City’s Appeal of Lower Court Ruling That City Should Release Pantaleo’s CCRB Misconduct Summary

In response to a court ruling today in an appeal by the de Blasio administration to a previous lower court ruling that it should release the CCRB misconduct summary of NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who killed Eric Garner, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Loyda Colon, Co-Director of the Justice Committee.

“The failures and inconsistencies of this administration on police reform and protecting our communities from police brutality become worse and worse every day. If the de Blasio administration believes in police transparency, their actions need to start matching their rhetoric. The de Blasio administration turned its back on our communities and police transparency when it decided to change policy related to disciplinary trial outcomes and police misconduct records, and then appeal the first court’s ruling that it release a summary of substantiated misconduct complaints against Pantaleo. If they really want to be transparent, like they say they do, they would have just released the information instead of seeking this appeal for permission to continue hiding NYPD misconduct from New Yorkers. In fact, even with today’s ruling, the de Blasio administration could legally choose to release information, as the decision states - instead they continue to choose to hide officer misconduct.”

Passage from decision:

[N]othing in the Freedom of Information Law...restricts the right of the agency if it so chooses to grant access to records within any of the statutory exceptions, with or without deletion of identifying details”(Matter of Short v Board of Mgrs. of Nassau County Med. Ctr., 57 NY2d 399, 404 [1982]; see also Matter of New York Civ. Liberties Union v New York City Police Dept., __ AD3d __ [1st Dept 2017]).”

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Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) is an unprecedented campaign to end discriminatory policing practices in New York, and to build a lasting movement that promotes public safety and policing practices based on cooperation and respect– not discriminatory targeting and harassment. CPR brings together a movement of community members, lawyers, researchers and activists to work for change. The partners in this campaign come from all 5 boroughs, from all walks of life and represent many of those unfairly targeted the most by the NYPD. CPR is fighting for reforms that will promote community safety while ensuring that the NYPD protects and serves all New Yorkers.

Topics: Eric Garner