New Yorkers seeking to report instances of police brutality by
phone in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy had a more difficult time doing so,
and the number of complaints dropped drastically as a result. Citizens who
called 311 to report misconduct in November, December, and January weren't able
to be transferred directly to the Civilian Complaint Review Board's hotline
because the storm damaged the line. Callers were instead given a different
number to reach the CCRB, adding an extra step to the process. According to
Marcos Soler, the CCRB's deputy executive director for policy, the agency
usually receives an average of 249 complaints by phone each month—for the last
three months, the average dropped to 29.
"We completely understand as an agency the impact that this
had on our ability to receive complaints," Soler said, adding that the
usual 800-number was restored yesterday. "Any impact for the ability of
the public to reach us is going to have an effect on complaint activity. We
have learned our lesson." The CCRB's offices were severely damaged after
the storm, and the agency wasn't able to return to 40 Rector Street until late
last month.
Soler says that 50% of the total cases handled by the CCRB are
taken by phone, but notes that citizens can file complaints on the agency's
website, at a precinct, by mail, or in person. "For those people who
weren't able to file a complaint over the last three months, they can still do
so today. We can still address their issue—the statute of limitations is 18
months."
