For years, one of the main cries of community and civil organizations, as well as defenders of victims of police abuse, have demanded that in an act of transparency the names of the NYPD agents who have incurred in acts of misconduct, and now there is a database available for anyone to have access to that information.
The collection of said information was the work of the Legal Aid organization, which through rights of petition (FOIL), discoveries in criminal cases and other resources, he managed to create the database, which contains more than 450,000 records, and that in the 2018 tested with the CAPstat database.
This was revealed this Monday by the legal defense association, after presenting, as they said, “the most complete database on Police Misconduct Records in New York City,” called “Search for Enforcement Actions.” law” or “LELU”.
Legal Aid said he hopes this data will empower advocacy groups, journalists, civil rights attorneys and the general public to investigate the records of New York Police Department and Department of Corrections officers for accountability. for the abuses that many uniformed have inflicted against New Yorkers, particularly in communities of color, such as Latinos.
Tina Luongo, principal attorney of the Criminal Defense Practice at Legal Aid highlighted that the data collection “ LELU” will be a powerful investigative tool, since for the first time the public will have access to the most complete set of records of police misconduct in New York and criticized the fact that for years the authorities have wanted to keep this information secret, promoting impunity.
“For too long, The City, the New York Police and the DOC (Corrections) hid these records of misconduct from the public, even though these records contain critical information that all New Yorkers should have access to,” said the lead attorney for the Criminal Defense Practice. “This information will help shine a light on the culture of impunity that has existed for decades within these departments, allowing New Yorkers to hold accountable those who police their neighborhoods and work in local jails.”
The database points out cases in which the NYPD has not taken action to hold accountable members of that force, who are still in the police , as Agent Wayne Isaacs, who shot and killed Delrawn Small in a road rage incident, off duty at 2016. His disciplinary case has dragged on for years.
Barry Scheck, co-founder of the Innocence Project, mentioned that this database contains vital information so that police abuse and misconduct by members of the NYPD and City jail officers don’t go without the sanctions and punishments they deserve.
“This latest database will help advocates, prosecutors, law enforcement, and the public ensure that justice be done in our courts and that witnesses tell the truth. Databases like this should exist in all cities and states”, commented the activist.
The database includes information collected from 2013 to the past 30 June 2022, sample of public records of 30,000 lawsuits filed, names and misconduct of 14,000 NYPD officers, as well as 190,000 records of the Civil Complaints Review Board of accusations made against uniformed personnel.
Likewise, the public will be able to consult 1, complete investigation closure reports, 9, 000 internal NYPD misconduct records, including NYPD trial decisions and Bureau of International Affairs records. ernos (IAB) of the NYPD, 14,000 court and district attorney records, hundreds of DOC (Corrections) staff disciplinary files, and payroll data and rosters for all current NYPD employees and the DOC (Corrections).
Yung-Mi Lee, legal director of the criminal defense practice of Brooklyn Defender Services, stated that the database will mark a path to combat abusive police practices without holding anyone responsible.
“ For decades, records of police misconduct have been hidden from the public, contributing to the NYPD’s abusive police culture with impunity,” she said. “Since the repeal of (the rule) 50-a to the enactment of new discovery laws in recent years, New York has taken steps to make these patterns of police misconduct more transparent. In the latest critical step in lifting the veil on NYPD and DOC misconduct and abuse, LELU provides the public with access to the most comprehensive set of misconduct records yet seen and is a valuable tool in making hold the police accountable.”
Stan Germán, executive director of the New York County Defense Services, stressed that justice for victims cannot be achieved without transparency, for which he applauded the presentation of the “LELU” database, which will be a crucial tool in the fight against police impunity.
“For decades, prosecutors were allowed to present police officers as irreproachable witnesses and impartial, while the laws were used to protect the public and the court from the truth about the misconduct and misdeeds of those same witnesses,” the activist stressed. (The database) will provide transparency and real accountability where it is needed most: in our courtrooms.”
Justine Olderman, executive director of The Bronx Defenders, assured that in their day-to-day work defending people from the Bronx, lawyers have seen for years how police have shied away from responsibility for their actions because records of misconduct have been kept hidden from the public, calling the Legal Aid database a big step in the fight against impunity.
“With LELU, public defenders, advocates and the general public can visit one website to access the City’s most comprehensive database on police misconduct to date. Such access will allow us to undo even more decades of police impunity and guarantee true justice for people harmed by the police”, highlighted the defender.
Legal Aid assured that it plans to update the database regularly every once you have records available.
The NYPD did not refer specifically to the Legal Aid database, but warned that the Police have already made available to the public information related to actions against uniformed officers who have committed misconduct or misconduct, showing their interest in that there is transparency.
“The NYPD strongly believes in the importance of transparency, which is why the NYPD already makes disciplinary information available to the public on our website, with links to websites of the Legal Department and CCRB”, assured a spokesman for the Uniformed. “This is an ongoing project and we hope that more information will be included as we continue to digitize the Department’s records.”
The Department of Corrections, for its part, assured that they would issue a response to the announcement of the database, but at the close of this edition they had not made a statement.
Data that can be found in the LELU database
14,000 NYPD officers involved appear in the records
What is the LELU database for?