When police engage in misconduct in New York, the Civilian Complaint Review Board is supposed to hold them accountable. And when officers being investigated for misconduct lie to CCRB investigators, there are supposed to be consequences for that as well, with investigators empowered to recommend charges for untrue or misleading testimony. But while investigators do recommend those charges, and while in many instances the politically appointed board members follow through on those recommendations, board members also toss out charges of lying to the CCRB nearly one time in four, more than twice the rate at which they overturn other allegations.
Bafflingly, that reality has been obscured until now, partly because the CCRB's published data miscategorizes its own decisions in a way that makes it look to the public as though the board hasn't overturned allegations of deception at all.
Why is the data about police lying misrepresented in this way? Why is the board tossing out so many allegations that police lied to its own investigators? The agency won't say.
Subscribe to read the full story
Become a paid subscriber to Hell Gate to access all of our posts.
Subscribe