#NYC publishes disciplinary data involving all active NYPD cops

New York City on Thursday published a trove of NYPD disciplinary records including all misconduct complaints brought before the Civilian Complaint Review Board against active department personnel.

The digital database was first announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio last June after state secrecy law 50a was repealed, but its launch was delayed by a months-long court battle when the city’s police unions objected to the records’ release.

A federal panel of three appeals judges ruled last month that the unions’ arguments were “without merit,” paving the way for the data to finally go live.

“The repeal of New York State Civil Rights Law Section 50-a—one of the most restrictive police secrecy laws in the country—was a landmark moment for New Yorkers,” said CCRB Chair Fred Davie in a statement. “The court’s decision to affirm the repeal of 50-a and vacate the stay is the right one, and I am proud the CCRB has acted quickly to once again provide New Yorkers with greater transparency.”

Amid the legal battle, the NYCLU published its own searchable database, encompassing nearly 324,000 “unique complaint records” for almost 82,000 active and former cops.

That trove revealed the records of top NYPD figures, including Commissioner Dermot Shea, who was named in eight complaints over four incidents between August 2003 and June 2011, while part of the department’s Detective Bureau.

Three of the allegations, all stemming from a single 2003 incident, were substantiated by the CCRB.

That database did not provide narrative details or substantial context on the incidents.