PBA president Pat Lynch (above) called the changes to CCRB rules made in January and February a “bold-faced power grab.” (THEODORE PARISIENNE/FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)
The NYPD watchdog has too much bite, the city’s largest police union charged in a new lawsuit.
In papers filed Tuesday in Manhattan Supreme Court, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association asked a judge to limit the Civilian Complaint Review Board's authority.
The 54-page suit focused on revisions to CCRB rules in January and February — including one that allows it to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct by officers against citizens. The union charges the revisions improperly interfered with NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill’s power.
The union charges the revisions — including one that allows the CCRB to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct by officers against citizens — improperly interfered with the power of NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill (above). (SUSAN WATTS/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)
“Neither the public nor Police Officers can have confidence in the CCRB — an agency that admittedly lacks the training and experience — handling sexual misconduct complaints,” the suit says.
PBA president Pat Lynch called the rule changes a “bold-faced power grab.”
“The CCRB has always been infected with an anti-police bias,” he charged, blasting the changes an effort “to create a CCRB regime that is more abusive to police officers than ever before.”
Other examples of CCRB overreach, according to the suit, are its allowance of citizens to make allegations against police without being under oath, and its power to start investigations without have received a civilian complaint.
The PBA also says that the CCRB did not follow proper protocol when it resolved to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct. Such allegations from civilians were previously referred to the NYPD’s Internal Affairs.
The union’s long-held criticism of the CCRB as biased against cops has become particularly pointed under Mayor de Blasio. Lynch sought a criminal probe of the agency after one of its staffers leaked civilian complaints against Daniel Pantaleo, who killed Eric Garner using a chokehold.
“The CCRB is an agency comprised of such anti- police personnel, that they will stop at nothing, they will violate any law and they will bend any rule just to penalize police officers who have the toughest and most dangerous job in the City,” Lynch said.
In a statement, the CCRB said it does not comment on pending litigation, but added: “The Civilian Complaint Review Board is committed to conducting its investigations in a thorough, impartial manner.”