Cops Union Sues To Curb Civilian Complaint Board's Power

NEW YORK CITY — New York's largest police union is suing the Civilian Complaint Review Board over new expansions of the watchdog agency's power, court records show.

The Police Benevolent Association filed suit in Manhattan Supreme Court Tuesday to challenge a ballot measure, passed in November, that expands the agency's staff and compels the NYPD commissioner to report to the board.

"[New Yorkers] will be permanently shackled to a bloated budget for the dysfunctional CCRB," argued PBA President Patrick Lynch. "If this is allowed to stand, it will drag down both public safety and the city’s finances for decades to come."

The PBA lawsuit challenges the legality of the amendment's budget guarantee, which links the CCRB budget to the NYPD's staff numbers, arguing City Council and the Mayor's Office are supposed to control the agency's funding.

"The CCRB Budget Guarantee ... creates a slippery slope with potential long-lasting and difficult-to-reverse ill effects," the suit reads.

"It will tie the hands of elected officials to determine an appropriate overall budget each fiscal year and to make modifications as changing circumstances may warrant."

The measure also adds two members to the review board, increasing it to 15, and requires the police commissioner to provide written explanations when deviating from discipline recommendations.

In a statement, Lynch called the ballot measure as “an illegal power-grab that anti-cop activists sneaked onto the ballot."

But advocates of the bill argue Lynch's lawsuit threatens increased police accountability that 75 percent of New Yorkers voted to approve in November.

"This latest PBA attempt to gut democratic processes with legal maneuvers and lies should be understood as a dangerous play to protect officers who lie and cover-up police violence," said Communities United for Police Reform spokesperson Carolyn Martinez-Class. "And it should be rejected and criticized by the court and all New Yorkers.”

CCRB Chair Fred Davie said the lawsuit did not come as a shock.

“It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that the PBA would once again attempt to thwart the will of the people of New York City and their desire for strong, professional, independent civilian oversight of the NYPD," Davies said.

"I am confident the City of New York will prevail in this lawsuit, and the CCRB looks forward to fully implementing the Charter reforms.”