ProPublica did a piece on how NYC's Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) is a useless sham, especially since the NYPD Commissioner has final say on how cops are "disciplined" for doing dirt & the most these cops usually get is a few lost vacation days. https://projects.propublica.org/nypd-unchecked-power/

"ProPublica has pieced together details of dozens of cases in which the police commissioner stepped in after the CCRB concluded that officers had wrongly punched, kicked, choked, pepper-sprayed, tasered, searched or otherwise abused civilians."

"Between 2014 and 2018, the CCRB substantiated allegations in about 2,400 cases out of the approximately 8,000 it was able to fully investigate, meaning the board concluded that misconduct occurred."

"In about 600 of those cases, the CCRB took the most serious level of disciplinary action available: recommending 'charges.'"

"After recommending charges, if a plea cannot be negotiated, the CCRB usually prosecutes its case in front of an NYPD lawyer who serves as a hearing officer (and is often called a department “judge”)."

"But in at least 260 of those 600 most serious cases, the police commissioner disagreed with the CCRB on the final discipline."

"This included downgrading or dismissing penalties, overturning plea agreements by officers and overruling NYPD judges who review cases. Let’s take a look at some of these cases."

NYPD drug cop Thomas Ramirez stopped a car for a traffic infraction, threw the driver on the hood of the cop car, punched the driver's teenage sister in the face 2x & maced her.

Former NYPD leader James O’Neill made sure that Ramirez received absolutely no punishment.

"Between 2014 and 2018, nearly 40 of the most serious cases handled by the CCRB ended up like the Ramirez case: The commissioner imposed no discipline at all."

NYPD Sgt. Mark Sinatra forced a couple out of their car, pushed the man, damaged the car & didn’t state his badge number. He also chased down & punched a guy for smoking weed.

Sinatra agreed to give up 18 vacation days & former NYPD leader James O Neill reduced it to 10 days!

"Between 2014 and 2018, just over 60 of the most serious cases brought by the CCRB ended up like the Sinatra case: Even after the officer pleaded guilty and agreed to specific discipline, the commissioner imposed something different, almost always lowering the punishment."

NYPD cop Jose Moreno ***pulled his gun on an 11-year-old boy & a 13-year-old girl who were playing basketball in a Harlem park***!

Former NYPD leader James O Neill just made him get some training.

NYPD even claimed that him pointing the gun did not constitute physical force!

"Between 2014 and 2018, the remaining 160 cases ended up like Moreno’s: The commissioner departed from the CCRB and imposed his own discipline — often training or a reprimand."

"After ProPublica asked about the CCRB’s disciplinary recommendations, the NYPD put out a news release saying the current commissioner, Dermot Shea, has 'meted out tough discipline when needed yet delivered tempered justice as the facts warrant.'”

NYPD Sgt. John Mejia stopped a man for no good reason, claimed he had drugs, & fractured the man's wrist. Mejia agreed to give up 20 vacation days & O Neill reduced it to 10.

A year later, Mejia refused to get medical attention for a man & was likely not punished at all.

"According to CCRB data, from 2013 to the present, the commissioner has outright reversed the guilty finding of an NYPD judge in 13 cases the agency prosecuted — including three under Shea, who succeeded O’Neill in December 2019."

"In addition to those three cases — which all stemmed from one incident — Shea has reduced five pleas and taken seven cases back from the CCRB."

"While the NYPD and CCRB agree on when to hand out discipline in the vast majority of lower-level misconduct cases, when the CCRB tries to push for more severe consequences for serious incidents, the agency’s recommendations are less likely to be followed."

"In one 2016 case, the CCRB recommended termination for an officer. Instead, he lost 10 vacation days. Similarly, two cases from 2014 and 2015 where CCRB called for a termination ended with five and four days of lost vacation time respectively."

"Right now, the only check on the police commissioner’s power over discipline is the mayor."

"By matching officer names to specific cases, we found at least 19 officers who had new, substantiated civilian complaints against them even after being charged by the CCRB."

"At least 20 officers whose recommended discipline was downgraded by the commissioner have been the subject of 10 or more complaints throughout their time with the NYPD."

NYPD Lt. Mauvin J. Bute busted down a man's door, searched his home, tried to trick him into signing papers authorizing the search, & arrested him when he refused to sign. Bute agreed to give up 8 vacations day & that got cut to 5 days. A year later, Bute brutalized a Black man.