| 2003
Annual Report Law Enforcement Bureau |
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The Commission's Law Enforcement Bureau (LEB)
enforces the NYC Human Rights Law. LEB is responsible for the intake,
investigation, mediation and prosecution of complaints alleging
violations of the Law.
By early 2003, the Commission successfully eliminated a backlog
of nearly 5,000 cases by thoroughly reviewing the merits of each
case. The number of cases resolved for 2003 totaled 1,381, leaving
the Commission with a caseload of over 500 cases. The majority
of cases in the Commission's inventory are now less than one year
old as compared to 2002 when 80% of the Commission's cases were
older than one year. The Commission's increased focus on early complaint investigation begins with a thorough intake interview and identification of the legal issues. Comprehensive case assessment at the earliest stage of the case, when the facts are freshest, provides a greater ability to gather evidence and identify witnesses. This new approach is directly responsible for the higher proportion of settlements and probable cause findings this year. LEB also focused on resolving the Commission's oldest cases. The age of these cases and the difficulty in locating important documents and witnesses make them very difficult to resolve. The Commission makes every effort to investigate and resolve these old complaints. The Commission obtained in excess of $228,000 for complainants who had cases pending at the agency for more than 10 years. Prior to the beginning
of the new administration, over 1,500 cases were seven years or
older. That number dropped dramatically to 255 by the end of 2002
and declined again to 44 cases by the end of 2003. The number of
cases older than seven years dropped to 39 at the time of this report. |
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| Pending
Cases
As the Pending Cases graph indicates, the Commission had more than seven times the number of pending cases before the start of the new administration, as compared to the end of 2003. Settlements The Commission has the authority to obtain cash settlements for those aggrieved by violations of the NYC Human Rights Law. In 2003, the dollar value of those settlements totaled $1,050,753 for an average cash settlement of $14,197. Other settlements and provisions successfully negotiated by the Commission include reinstatements, policy changes and modifications for accessibility. |
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Determinations
And Resolutions
As a result
of the Commission's aggressive efforts in 2003, 152 modifications
were made for individuals with disabilities, more than double the
amount in 2002. These modifications included the installation of
ramps and lifts in apartment buildings, restaurants, stores and
other public accommodations. The modifications also included the
removal of cart corrals in front of grocery and department stores.
These corrals prohibited individuals with disabilities from entering
and exiting these locations. LEB
Staff
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