The number and cost of lawsuits filed against NYPD is on the rise. So how can the NYPD reduce costs, improve policing and enhance community relations?
As outlined in our new report, the Department of Investigation’s Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD believes that a careful analysis of certain information from these cases can save the city money, improve policing and create systemic change within NYPD.
Across the country, police departments are using litigation data to identify departmentwide patterns, such as how force is used; evaluate officer performance; and build community trust.
The NYPD understands this. It recently created a Risk Management Bureau to identify problematic trends in performance and analyze lawsuits filed against the Department and its members. To meet these goals, the NYPD has strengthened its information-sharing efforts with the Controller’s Office and the New York City Law Department.
However, the city can do better. First, litigation data is not perfect, and the NYPD needs to focus on the most relevant data and avoid information from meritless cases. Second, we should create an interagency working group among the NYPD, the Law Department and the Controller so that data is more efficiently and effectively shared.
Third, the NYPD should tell the public how it uses litigation data to evaluate officers and identify departmental trends. Increased transparency creates greater public confidence in our police.
Reliable data on police activities is a foundation of good policing and good oversight. Information from lawsuits and claims that have already been filed, if properly collected, vetted and analyzed, can help NYPD learn lessons and take corrective action.
Philip Eure is the Inspector General for the NYPD
