Data Transparency Initiative

Complaints

The Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) is an independent municipal agency that investigates complaints of NYPD misconduct. A “complaint” is defined as any incident within the Agency’s jurisdiction that falls into one or more of the following categories of misconduct specified by the New York City Charter: Force, Abuse of Authority, Discourtesy, and Offensive Language, collectively known as “FADO”. Upon receiving a complaint, CCRB investigators gather evidence and interview witnesses to prepare reports on the allegations of misconduct. Once an investigation is concluded, a closing report is prepared detailing the evidence and a legal analysis, and the case is turned over to the CCRB Board for review and vote. The data in this section presents an in-depth analysis of complaints the CCRB received from 2006 through 2018 (into 2019 as available) and includes details of the complaint (date, location, borough, precinct).

The Data Transparency Initiative only shows data within CCRB jurisdiction.


How to interact with the data:

  1. To examine the data, hover the mouse over the figures.
  2. To isolate variables, select the color of the variable in the key, or make filter selections at the top of each image.
  3. To compare variables, left click the mouse while pressing the control key (for PC users), or left click the mouse while pressing the command key (for Mac users). Then select desired variables.
  4. To unselect variables, click the white space in the key.
  5. To download visualization-specific data, click on the visualization and select preferred download type.
  6. To download a record-level dataset containing information about all complaints and allegations closed since 2006, select the link at the bottom of the page.

Note: The data is interactive and percentages will reflect the filters selected.

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Complaints Received
Complaints by FADO
Complaints by Borough
Complaints by Precinct
Complaint Mode
Complaint Place
Complaint Location
Complaint Time of Day
Complaint Reason
Outcome Associated with Complaint
Complaint with SQF Allegation
Complaints with Video
Fully Investigated Complaints
Mediated Complaints
FADO Type of Mediated Complaints
Complaints Truncated



How many complaints has the CCRB received over time?


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How many CCRB complaints contain at least one allegation of excessive force, abuse of authority, discourtesy or offensive language (FADO)?



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How many complaints does the CCRB receive by borough of incident?



Note: 1) This data only includes reported incidents that occurred within the five boroughs by a NYPD officer. 2) See NYC Planning, Current & Projected Populations for the population size of each borough.

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How many complaints does the CCRB receive by precinct of incident?




Note: Hover over a precinct for the number of complaints. Data is not available to download due to individual level information.

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How are complaints made to the CCRB by the public?




Note: 1) The increase in the number of complaints by phone in 2013 is due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy. From November 2012 through January 2013, CCRB offices were either closed or operating with minimal capacity, during which time complaint intake shifted to the Internal Affairs Bureau where the primary method to file a complaint is by phone. 2) Call Center refers to the CCRB Call Processing Center, which is an automated telephone service that receives complaints outside business hours.

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Where do people make complaints of alleged police misconduct?




Note: 1) Commission to Combat Police Corruption (CCPC); Inspector General NYPD (IG NYPD); Department of Investigation (DOI). 2) In 2013, IAB offices remained open in the wake of Hurricane Sandy resulting in 50% of complaints within CCRB jurisdiction that year. This was a 10% increase from 2012.

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Where do alleged incidents occur?



Note: Apartment/house refers to alleged misconduct that has crossed the threshold of the door and inside a residential dwelling. Residential building refers to alleged misconduct in the hallway or lobby. Public space/building refers to alleged misconduct on government property.

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What day of the week and time of day do alleged incidents occur?



Note: The table is in a 24 hour time format.

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How have reasons for contact changed over time?




Note: 1) Police Department (PD); Precinct (PCT); Complainant/Victim (C/V); Emotionally Disturbed Person (EDP). 2) Reason for contact is most often provided by the NYPD officer, when corroborated with documentary evidence.

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How often do reported incidents of alleged police misconduct result in an arrest or summons?


In reported incidents of police misconduct, police interaction concludes with three main types of action: (1) an arrest is made, (2) a summons is issued or (3) neither an arrest nor summons occurs. 


Note: 1) An arrest can occur any time an individual is charged with a felony, misdemeanor or another type of violation. 2)  A summons can be issued for a violation or crime, including but not limited to a parking summons, moving violation, disorderly conduct, or another violation.

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How has the number of complaints that include an allegation of stop, question, frisk, or search of a person (SQF) changed over time?



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How many complaints has the CCRB received that contain video?




Note: Although the CCRB collected video evidence in some cases closed prior to 2012, there was no way to store the digital files in the database at that time. Therefore, only data since 2012 is shown.

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How many CCRB complaints are fully investigated?




Note: 1) During a “full investigation,” the CCRB’s civilian investigators gather documentary and video evidence and conduct interviews with complainants, victims, civilian witnesses, subject officers and witness officers in order to determine whether the allegations occurred, and whether they constitute misconduct. At the conclusion of the investigation, a closing report is prepared summarizing the relevant evidence and providing a factual and legal analysis of the allegations. The closing report and investigative file is provided to the Board for disposition. 2) The decrease in complaints in 2012 is due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy when CCRB offices were either closed or operating with minimal capacity from November 2012 through January 2013.

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How has the number of mediated or mediation attempted complaints changed over time?

Successful mediations can benefit communities because a measure of trust and respect often develops between the parties.


Note: Mediated refers to successfully mediated complaints.

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What subtypes of FADO allegations are successfully mediated?



Note: A complaint can contain more than one allegation.

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Why are some complaints truncated?



Note: A complaint that cannot be fully investigated due to victim/complainant unavailability or lack of cooperation is truncated.