NCJ Number
15104
Date Published
1970
Length
94 pages
Annotation
AN ANALYSIS OF THE RECORDS FROM THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS AGAINST POLICE OFFICERS AND THE PROCEDURES EMPLOYED TO MANAGE POLICE MISCONDUCT.
Abstract
DATA WAS COLLECTED FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON EACH OFFICER WHO ENTERED THE DEPARTMENT IN 1957. INFORMATION ON THE OFFICERS' BACKGROUNDS AND HISTORY OF PERFORMANCE IN THE DEPARTMENT WAS GATHERED. A TOTAL OF 1,915 OFFICERS WERE STUDIED. TYPES OF COMPLAINTS, INCIDENCES OF COMPLAINTS FOR PATROLMEN AND DETECTIVES, ACTUAL INCIDENCE OF MISCONDUCT, THE INFORMAL SYSTEM OF JUSTICE, AND POLICE JUSTICE AND RACE ARE DISCUSSED. IT WAS FOUND THAT 204 ALLEGATIONS OF CRIMINAL MISBEHAVIOR BY THIS GROUP WERE RECORDED BY THE POLICE INVESTIGATORY UNITS. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT RELATIVELY FEW OF THE OFFICERS ACCUSED OF MISBEHAVIOR CAME TO TRIAL AND OF THOSE, ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE RECEIVED SEVERE DISPOSITIONS. FIFTYEIGHT PERCENT OF THE POLICE OFFICERS ENTERING THE DEPARTMENT IN 1957 WERE FOUND TO HAVE RECEIVED ONE COMPLAINTS, AND HALF OF THE OFFICERS WITH ONE COMPLAINT RECEIVED AT LEAST AN ADDITIONAL ONE. THE APPENDIXES INCLUDE OFFICERS' REASONS FOR LEAVING THE FORCE, TABLES OF DATA, TYPICAL CHARGES AGAINST OFFICERS BROUGHT TO TRIAL, AND DEPARTMENT FORMS.