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Budget cuts mean CCRB suspends some investigations
Another fallout of Mayor Adams' budget cuts may be less oversight of the NYPD. The Civilian Complaint Review Board, the board that responds to allegations of police misconduct, is being forced to suspend some of its investigations. FOX 5 NY's Linda Schmidt takes a look at what that means.
NEW YORK - The Civilian Complaint Review Board, which responds to allegations of misconduct by the NYPD, is being forced to suspend some of its investigations due to Mayor Adams' budget cuts.
"Now, one of the only ways that New Yorkers can protect themselves from police abuse, is on the chopping block," said Donna Lieberman, the Executive Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Lieberman says the public will suffer now the oversight board will not investigate 8 different allegations against officers.
The CCRB says that it cannot keep up with the work under Mayor Adams' budget cuts.
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"This is all happening at a time when complaints against police are up 40% this year," Lieberman said.
The CCRB says budget cuts slashed more than a million dollars from its budget and forced the board to cut 22 positions. Starting January 1st, the CCRB will no longer investigate claims against NYPD officers for threats, property seizures, untruthful statements, discourteous words or actions, or refusal to provide their name or shield number.
"It suggest to me that a number of cases that are really important to members of the public will not be investigated," said Daniel Bodah, an Adjunct Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
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Bodah studies police accountability data and served on the CCRB for seven years. He told FOX 5 NY that he believes this development will negatively impact police-community relations.
"Seizure of property here is perhaps one of the more troubling matters, and also I would say false statements by police," Bodah said.
But the NYPD's largest union, the Police Benevolent Association, says the CCRB is used as a weapon against effective policing and that "New Yorkers should be very concerned about the dramatic cuts to the NYPD’s headcount and budget, which will mean even fewer cops in their neighborhoods"
The CCRB says another $2.3M will be cut from its budget in July.