Vera Institute of Justice

Overview

This 1988 report discusses New York City's Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), an agency established in 1966 to receive, investigate and hear complaints filed by civilians against police officers and to recommend disciplinary action to the police commissioner where appropriate. The CCRB is controversial due to its structure being revised to be composed of police department personnel only, rather than its initial setup as a joint civilian-police board. This results in low credibility among segments of the civilian population, exacerbated by reports of police brutality against minorities in New York City. Vera was commissioned by the NYPD to determine whether the CCRB was fair, consistent and objective in the processing of civilian complaints. It concludes that the CCRB is generally a fair and legitimate body but that its image and credibility must be restored, both with police and with the wider community.