The Racial Profiling and Bias Based Policing (“RPBP”) Unit is a unit at the CCRB focused on investigating civilian complaints of profiling/biased policing by uniformed (not civilian) members of the NYPD based on 10 different protected categories:
Staffed with attorneys, investigators, and data scientists, the RPBP unit investigates whether an NYPD officer’s conduct during an encounter with a civilian was based on one or more of the civilian’s actual or perceived protected trait, listed above. The CCRB also investigates complaints in which a civilian alleges an officer has taken law enforcement action against them, or failed to take law enforcement action on their behalf, because of one or more of those protected traits.
If you believe an NYPD officer discriminated against you because of your race, ethnicity/national origin, color, religion, age, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, immigration status, disability, or housing status, you can file a complaint and RPBP will investigate it even if the officer did not engage in any other misconduct like excessive force, improper stop or search, or use of discourteous or offensive language.
Racial profiling occurs when an NYPD officer takes law enforcement action against you (for example: stopping your car or stopping you on the street, an arrest, summons, search, or move-along order) because of your actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, or color. Bias-based policing occurs when an NYPD officer takes law enforcement action against you because of your religion, age, immigration or citizenship status, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or housing status.
CCRB’s investigative power comes from the New York City Charter, Section 440(c). The City Council passed Local Law 47 (2021), which amended the Charter to clarify that investigating allegations of “racial profiling and bias-based policing” falls under the CCRB’s “abuse of authority” jurisdiction.
Prior to this amendment, all profiling and biased policing complaints received by the CCRB were referred to the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB). The New York City Commission on Human Rights also investigated complaints of bias-based profiling by all New York City-based law enforcement officers (not only members of service of the NYPD).