How Do I File a Complaint Against the New York City Police Department?
A complaint can be filed against the New York City Police Department in several different ways. They include the following:
- Online Submission – A complaint can be filed online against the New York City Police Department for police misconduct.
- At the following New York City website – through the New York City Civilian Review Board (commonly referred to as the CCRB). https://www1.nyc.gov/site/ccrb/complaints/file-online.page.
- Through the New York State Attorney General’s office by emailing complaints@ag.ny.gov. This method should predominantly be used if your complaint deals with systematic corruption.
- By emailing the NYPD Internal Affairs Unit at IAB@NYPD.org.
- By submitting a form online through the Office of the Inspector General at https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doi/oignypd/complaints/complaint-form.page. It should be noted that while the Office of the Inspector General has the ability to investigate individual officers, their larger charge is to battle systemic abuse or malignant patterns and trends.
- In Person – A complaint can also be filed in person at the following locations:
- At the main offices of New York City Civilian Review Board. Their address is 100 Church Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10007. No appointment is needed to make the complaint and their hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday- Friday.
- At a participating council member’s district office. This is the very best option if you wish to make your complaint in person and can’t make it to an office during the usual business hours. Through the Community Partners Initiative a Council Member in each borough maintains hours at designated times. To find a participating Council Member close to you follow this link: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/ccrb/about/outreach/ccrb-community-partners-initiative.page.
- By Phone – A complaint for police misconduct can also be made directly by phone through several different agencies.
- The New York City Civilian Review Board. The City Civilian Review Board has a special hotline for handling such complaints. The number for that hotline is 1-800-341-2272. You are able to speak directly to an investigator if you call Monday- Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- 311 – By dialing 311 on your phone you can make a complaint for police misconduct at any time day or night. Should you be located physically outside the State of New York at the time you wish to make your complaint call 1-212-NEW-YORK.
- By calling the NYPD Internal Affairs Unit at 212-741-8401.
- By calling the Office of the Inspector General at 212-806-5200.
- By Mail A complaint for police misconduct can be made by mail in the following ways:
- Mailing a letter to the CCRB at 100 Church Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10007. In the letter it is important to particularize when the misconduct took place, who was present at the time of the misconduct, where the misconduct occurred, and your identifying information (name, contact number, email address, etc.). If known you should also be sure to include (1) the names of any police employees that engaged in the misconduct; (2) the badge number of any police employees that engaged in the misconduct; and (3) the precinct that the police employees who engaged in the misconduct belonged to or were associated with.
- Mailing a CCRB complaint form to 100 Church Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10007. These forms can be found at any police station.
- By mailing a complaint to the NYPD Internal Affairs Department located at PO BOX 10001 New York, NY 10014.
- By mailing a complaint to the New York Office of the Inspector General located at 180 Madison Lane, New York, NY 10038.
What Happens After I File a Complaint Against the New York City Police Department?
After you file a complaint against the New York City Police Department a formal investigation will be undertaken. The process can take quite a while so patience is vital. This investigation involves the complaining party giving a formal statement to an investigator about the malfeasance of the NYPD. Should you not be able to travel, an investigator can be dispatched to your residence to facilitate this process. However, after the investigation has been completed the offending police officer(s) can be disciplined. Due to a recent change in New York’s laws these disciplinary filings are now available to public.
It is important to remember that you are not alone in this process. The City Civilian Review Board received 4,959 complaints in 2019 and true change can be made through this process. Crucially, making a complaint does not in any way preclude your from bringing a lawsuit against the NYPD for police brutality, false arrest and/or wrongful prosecution.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of police misconduct, police brutality or excessive force, the New York City Police Misconduct attorneys at Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP can help. The New York City Police Misconduct attorneys at Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP handle all types of police misconduct, police brutality and excessive force cases including those that involve illegal chokeholds, racial profiling, wrongful search and seizures, false arrest, false imprisonment, witness tampering and police corruption. The New York City Police Misconduct attorneys at Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP are committed to helping victims of police brutality, excessive force or police misconduct and will hold police officers and law enforcement agencies accountable. Our firm’s motto is “Don’t Be A Victim Twice”. If you are a victim of police misconduct or police brutality, call 1-800-VICTIM2 (1-800-842-8462) to schedule a confidential consultation. The call is free. The consultation is free. You don’t pay us unless we are successful. That’s our “Our Fee Guarantee – No Fee Unless Successful”.
