Activists Want An Elected Civilian Review Board To Investigate Police Misconduct

Activists across New York City are pushing for an elected civilian review board with more power to investigate and punish police misconduct. Currently, New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board is made up of appointees, picked by the Mayor, the NYPD, and the City Council, and it relies on NYPD approval for their disciplinary recommendations.

Organizers said the campaign began sharing proposed legislation with city council members in 2017. It then focused its efforts on influencing the city’s charter revision commission, which has proposed a raft of measures for voters to consider in November. While the upcoming ballot will include several items to strengthen the CCRB, activists said they are still concerned about the board’s limited ability to discipline officers. 

Now, the campaign has shifted back to galvanizing city council support. Their main tactic is base-building in highly-policed communities, such as East New York, Flatbush, and the eastern stretches of Crown Heights.

At a barbeque on Saturday next to Brooklyn’s Boys and Girls High School, Joseph Sellman, a 70-year-old activist, was out recruiting. "We want community input, community participation and that's what it's all about," he said. 

26-year-old Harlem resident Blayz Davis said he supported the idea of elected civilian review board. "We're not telling cops not to do their job," he said. "We're telling cops, stop doing grimy stuff and getting away with it."

Marion Smith, a Brooklyn resident said she supported the proposal because an elected body could better utilize the community’s expertise about problem officers.

"It will help a lot because we in the community, we see a lot, we know a lot," she said. "So it will do very good in the community."

Activists are hoping the city council votes on their proposal next year, according to Pamela Monroe, a steering committee member for the NYC Campaign for an Elected Civilian Review Board. The bill would give the board the power to issue subpoenas and access police department records for investigations. The group is also pushing for an independent prosecutor to focus exclusively on cases of police misconduct.

"Even before a vote, they are going to try to water down this legislation," said Monroe, referring to the council’s public safety committee and resistant city council members. "So we’re going to have to have those rooms packed." She said their bill has already received positive feedback from Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and East New York City Councilmember Inez Barron.

In a statement, the NYPD said it works closely with the CCRB to support the board’s mission, noting that it had voluntarily entered into an agreement permitting the CCRB to prosecute cases it substantiates. "The Department is committed to transparency and accountability as police officers engage with the diverse communities of our city, all while cultivating trust and keeping crime at record low levels," said Sophia Mason, a detective and NYPD spokesperson.

The CCRB did not respond to WNYC’s request for comment.

This article was updated on 9/22/19 at 8:15 p.m. to state that the group is calling for a special prosecutor.