Report Finds More Complaints Against Police are Substantiated
A report by the Civilian Complaint Review Board, the New York City agency charged with investigating police misconduct, shows that more allegations of force are being substantiated, a small number of the city's police officers are responsible for the vast majority of complaints, and overall, the number of complaints is falling.
The board substantiated 237 complaints against 354 officers, in the first half of this year.
Board Chair Richard Emery attributes the rise in substantiated complaints to the use of video to help investigators corroborate claims, as well as an overhaul of the CCRB that's helped speed up the time it takes to investigate cases.
He also said the number of complaints has dropped under the de Blasio administration, despite recent criticism of police in the media, and protests against police brutality.
"Civilians are being respected more in police interactions, and then as a result, there are fewer complaints," he said. "There's no other real explanation for fewer complaints other than that police are doing a better job in interacting, generally speaking, with civilians."
In this interview, WNYC's Julianne Welby talks with Emory about what's behind the new numbers.
With The Associated Press
