NEW YORK—A coalition of council members and organizations gathered on City Hall’s steps Wednesday to introduce legislation to create an independent NYPD inspector general.
Councilman Brad Lander, a co-sponsor of the legislation, said on his Twitter feed the inspector general would “conduct independent reviews of the department’s policies, practices, programs, and operations.”
The proposed legislation would have the mayor appoint an inspector general (IG), who would report findings to the police commissioner, mayor, City Council, and the public. The position would include subpoena power.
On Twitter, Lander said, “FBI, CIA, every federal agency, [and] every other NYC agency has IG. Every other big city police department has independent oversight. Past time for NYPD IG.”
Lander, other elected officials, and organizations such as the New York Civil Liberties Union, have become increasingly vocal about certain police practices, most prominently the stop-and-frisk search methods.
“True accountability is impossible without effective independent oversight,” said Councilman Jumaane Williams, another co-sponsor, in a release. “That is what the NYPD lacks, and that is what an inspector general will provide.”
The NYPD did not respond to a request for comment.
John A. Eterno, associate dean at Molloy College and retired NYPD captain, said in a statement that quotas certainly exist regarding summonses, arrests, and stop-and-frisks.
“Additionally, the downgrading of crime reports is occurring citywide. Such systemic corruption needs to be investigated by an impartial outside body independent of the NYPD,” he said.
Roy T. Richter, president of the NYPD Captains Endowment Association, said his organization is reviewing the proposed legislation, but has concerns with giving power to a nonelected official. Someone “not subject to the will of the people,” with subpoena power holding a seven-year term, could intentionally or unintentionally usurp the City Council’s current role of NYPD oversight, Richter said.
Eugene O'Donnell, a former NYPD officer and current professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said a strong case could be made for City Council not being able to devote time, and lacking expertise, for the intense and demanding work oversight entails.
If an independent oversight position is created, “the most crucial decision will be who will initially hold the office,” said O'Donnell in an email. Someone with “rock-solid integrity,” such as a former federal judge or prosecutor, would be best, he suggested.
“It’s vitally important that any inspector general not be predisposed to thwarting effective, necessary, legitimate law enforcement operations,” especially in the post-9/11 era, O'Donnell said.
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