Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Civilian Complaint Review Board Seeks Power To Self-Initiate Investigations
By
George Joseph
Published Nov 22, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
BrandonKleinPhoto/Shutterstock
By
George Joseph
Published Nov 22, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), New York City’s independent police watchdog, is supporting a City Council bill introduced by Council Member Adrienne Adams of Queens that would allow it to initiate an investigation into potential NYPD misconduct on its own. Currently, city law requires the board to receive a complaint from a member of the public.
“People are vulnerable. They are victims. And they often don’t know how to file a complaint,” said Rev. Frederick Davie, the agency’s chairperson, speaking at a City Council meeting on Monday.
Davie said the agency’s current process for launching probes is outdated. Today, he argued, the board frequently sees evidence of potential police misconduct on social media.
“We live in an age where technology has changed rapidly,” Davie said. “We have the ability to see events unfold in real time like we’ve never had before.”
According to the CCRB, gaining this new authority could result in approximately five hundred more investigations for the agency annually. Last year, civilians filed more than 3,800 complaints with the agency.
In response to a request for comment, the NYPD referred Gothamist/WNYC to the department’s own city council testimony on Monday, which focused on other unrelated pieces of legislation and did not specifically reference the police oversight agency.
Critics have long faulted the CCRB for, in their view, lacking the authority to hold police accountable for misconduct. Three of the board’s 15 members are appointed by the police commissioner. One of the NYPD designees serves on every panel overseeing complaints, and the police commissioner has final say over whether officers face discipline.
Earlier this year, the board acquired new authority to probe allegations of sexual misconduct and false statements. The expanded jurisdiction prompted a court challenge by police unions, but in a ruling earlier this month, the Supreme Court of the State of New York upheld the rule changes that broadened the watchdog agency's new investigatory powers.
Tagged
civilian complaint review board
City Council bill
nypd
CCRB
police misconduct
City Council
George Joseph
George covers Brooklyn for THE CITY with a focus on criminal justice and housing. He previously worked for WNYC and Gothamist, and has published stories with NPR, ProPublica, Esquire, and The Intercept among other outlets.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .