CPR Responds to NYPD Inspector General Use of Force Report, NYPD Announcement

“While the move towards NYPD patrol guide and reporting changes that increase the transparency surrounding use of force policies are a positive step, they will have little practical impact without fixing the department's failure to hold officers accountable in an adequate, timely fashion. NYPD reporting also needs to include reporting of disciplinary actions taken for use of force cases, not just those reported and substantiated by CCRB. The NYPD Inspector General report is only further substantiation of the reality that the department fails to discipline officers who use force without justification, and that officers are too often the ones escalating encounters. Suspension with pay, simply moving an officer to a different part of the NYPD, or docking vacation days are not acceptable discipline for violations of the fundamental oath to protect and serve. 

“The IG report also raises serious questions about Commissioner Bratton's testimony to the New York City Council and media claiming the NYPD use of force levels were historically low and 'a model of restraint.' If the department had already acknowledged its reporting and collection of this information was inadequate both internally and in its communication with the federal government, it shows Bratton's previous testimony to the Council at an oversight hearing as disingenuous and factually inconsistent. Rolling out the increased use of another tool of force in Tasers, which have been connected to significant controversies of abuse and deaths‎, as the department is cited for a failure in its use of force policies is also highly problematic.”

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About Communities United for Police Reform

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.

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