NYPD, Review Board Reach Agreement On New Cop Discipline Rules

New York City NY

21 January, 2021

1:06 PM

Description

NEW YORK CITY — A new set of mandatory police discipline rules will guide future punishments for NYPD officer misconduct. The NYPD and the Civilian Complaint Review Board agreed to follow a recently-unveiled "discipline matrix," Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday. De Blasio has spent days touting the matrix, which sets mandatory penalties up to termination, for misconduct such as racial profiling, excessive deadly force and intentionally making false statements. "This is a major moment for this city and many years in the making," he said. But de Blasio also had to defend the rules from questions over whether the NYPD's commissioner has discretion to overrule discipline actions. He also faced reporters' questions over why Commissioner Dermot Shea didn't attend the announcement. De Blasio held up the document, as he has several times in recent days, and noted its NYPD logo. The department drafted the rules and its leadership embraced them, as outlined in the agreement with the review board, he said. "This is a commitment by the NYPD to live by this matrix," he said. Shea and other commissioners have disciplinary discretion only under "truly exception" situations outlined in state law, de Blasio said. CCRB Chair Frederick Davie called the matrix "unprecedented" and noted its harsh penalties. Officers who are found to use chokeholds, for instance, will be fired, he said. Read the discipline matrix here.