New York Police Commissioner Edward Caban issued a five-page statement defending his handling of officer discipline during his tenure following a ProPublica and New York Times report. The report revealed that Caban had buried numerous cases of alleged police misconduct, including serious offenses like wrongful chokeholds, taser use, and beating protesters. Some of these cases, deemed criminal by the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), were prevented from reaching public disciplinary trials through a tactic known as retention.
In his statement, Caban did not dispute the facts but argued that the report was unfair. He claimed to be invested in a fair NYPD discipline process and asserted that his handling of cases was efficient and in compliance with agreed guidelines. However, ProPublica's investigation showed discrepancies, including instances where Caban ended cases involving officers with prior substantiated misconduct.
Mayor Eric Adams, asked about the report, supported Caban, emphasizing his commitment to professional policing and not interfering in disciplinary processes. Despite Caban's assertion of an open process, ProPublica highlighted the opacity in handling retained cases, where decisions are made privately without public disclosure, leaving civilians unaware of case outcomes.
ProPublica found that Caban often gave little to no punishment in retained cases, with the harshest penalty being the loss of ten vacation days. In over 30 cases, Caban overturned officers' agreed punishments. Caban justified the increase in retained cases by citing the higher number of cases he handled, but ProPublica noted that his predecessor, Keechant Sewell, faced more cases in her first year.
Additionally, ProPublica uncovered that the NYPD has blocked some cases by not formally notifying officers of charges, stalling disciplinary trials indefinitely. These cases involved serious misconduct, including chokeholds and beatings, deemed likely criminal by the CCRB.
Caban's defense emphasized adherence to guidelines and efficiency, but ProPublica's findings suggested a lack of transparency and accountability in handling police misconduct cases.
Link: ProPublica
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