DOI ISSUES FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT ON CALENDAR YEAR 2018 INVESTIGATIONS BY ITS OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

  The Department of Investigation’s (“DOI”) Office of the Inspector General for the New York City Police Department (“OIG-NYPD”) today released its Fifth Annual Report on investigations and recommendations made in Calendar Year 2018 to the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”). In addition, the Report updates the status of recommendations made previously that have not been fully adopted by NYPD. The City Charter requires an annual report be produced each year on or before April 1. In 2018, DOI issued three reports containing 42 recommendations to improve NYPD policies, procedures, and accountability. To date, NYPD has accepted, partially implemented, or implemented more than half, or 55 percent, of these 42 recommendations. In total, approximately 74 percent of DOI’s 145 recommendations, spanning 13 investigative reports issued since 2015, have been accepted, partially implemented, or implemented by NYPD. 

 A copy of the Report is attached to this release and can be found at the following link: http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doi/newsroom/public-reports.page 

 DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said, “In 2018, DOI’s Inspector General for the NYPD released three significant reports focusing on NYPD’s Special Victims Division, the use of force by officers, and ways that NYPD can make better use of litigation data. By shining a light on NYPD’s progress towards implementing these recommendations, as well as those of prior years’ reports, this annual report enhances police accountability in New York City.” 

 Inspector General Philip K. Eure said, “Tracking NYPD’s implementation of our recommendations is vital to sustaining reform. Going forward, we will continue to build upon our mission to increase public safety, protect civil rights, and increase the public’s confidence in the police force by conducting investigations and making recommendations aimed at improving NYPD.” 

 The findings and recommendations of Calendar Year 2018 were published in the following reports: 

• An Investigation of NYPD’s New Force Reporting System: After OIG-NYPD’s initial 2015 Report on NYPD use of force, NYPD overhauled its force reporting system. OIG-NYPD investigated this new force-reporting system and found both successes as well as room for improvement. The Report revealed that while NYPD has made notable improvements in certain aspects of use-of-force reporting, officers are still not properly documenting all reportable use-of-force incidents, including an under-reporting of force incidents in arrest reports. The Report recommended changes to NYPD’s policies and infrastructure for collecting force data, and called on NYPD to make public more data about force incidents. 

• An Investigation of NYPD’s Special Victims Division—Adult Sex Crimes: OIG-NYPD conducted a comprehensive investigation of the NYPD’s Special Victims Division, with a particular focus on the adult sex crime units in each of the five boroughs. OIG-NYPD’s investigation found that all five of the adult sex crime units were deeply understaffed. While the Report found that the professionals of SVD are dedicated and hard-working, the investigation concluded that the Department needed to do more to bring in and retain experienced detectives at SVD. The Report also highlighted the critical need for adequate training of new SVD recruits. .  

• Ongoing Examination of Litigation Data Involving NYPD: In 2017, the New York City Council passed legislation (Local Law No. 166 of 2017) requiring OIG-NYPD to collect, evaluate, and report on information concerning improper police conduct through the analysis of claims and lawsuits filed against NYPD. For this Report, OIG-NYPD conducted its own analysis of claims and lawsuits filed against officers in six NYPD precincts to illustrate the types of patterns and trends NYPD could be studying if its systems were more robust. For example, the data from the six precincts showed upward and downward spikes in specific types of claims (e.g., use of force and false arrests). By interpreting this data, NYPD can furnish precinct commanders with useful guidance that could lead to improvements in training, supervisory controls, and other operations. OIG-NYPD’s Report also documented NYPD’s current efforts to review and analyze litigation data, including how such information could inform NYPD’s early intervention system for at-risk officers.

 This Annual Report also provides updates on the 103 recommendations issued across ten reports from 2015 through 2017. Those reports can be found here.

 A chart breaking out NYPD’s implementation status for all 145 recommendations can be found on page two in the Report. OIG-NYPD will continue to monitor the implementation status of these recommendations and issue follow-up reports as necessary.