Watchdog who criticized NYPD’s handling of officer discipline resigns

NEW YORK — The head of an oversight commission that investigates allegations of misconduct by New York City police officers announced her resignation Monday, ending a period in which she publicly criticized the NYPD’s handling of a major disciplinary case and sought to expand the commission’s powers.

Arva Rice, the interim chair of the Civilian Complaint Review Board, did not give a reason for her resignation, but her departure had been widely expected since early spring. A person with knowledge of the situation said Rice learned in April that Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain, was planning to remove her from her post. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss personnel decisions.

Rice’s departure, effective August 15, drew immediate protests from police reform advocates.

Chris Dunn, legal director at the New York Civil Liberties Union, said Rice’s firing was “part of a clear pattern by the Adams administration to undermine the NYPD’s accountability.”

“With reports of NYPD abuse reaching their highest level in more than a decade, New Yorkers need more police accountability, not less,” he added.

The resignations were welcomed by police union officials, who have long accused the review board – known as the CCRB – of overstepping its authority.

“A leadership change at CCRB is very welcome news for hardworking police officers whose careers have been ruined by anti-police activists on the CCRB board,” said Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, the city’s largest police union.

The move to oust Rice, who first reported in April by the New York Times, shortly after she accused police of suppressing body camera footage and other evidence in the death of Kawaski Trawick, a black man who was shot by a white police officer in his Bronx apartment in 2019.

No criminal charges were filed against the officer or his partner. The CCRB a disciplinary case has been filed against the officers that could have led to their firing, but an administrative law judge ruled that the review board waited too long to file misconduct charges — a delay Rice blames on the NYPD’s 18-month failure to provide bodycam footage. Ultimately, the officers faced no disciplinary action.

Adams appointed Rice as interim chair of the CCRB in 2022. She was initially appointed to the board by former Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Amaris Cockfield, a spokesman for the mayor, called Rice a “valued public servant.”

Rice did not respond to AP messages seeking comment. In her resignation letter, she said she had taken a “fair and balanced approach, whether it was met with criticism or applause.”

Adams, a Democrat, campaigned on reducing crime in the city while rebuilding trust in the department, drawing on his experience as a former police captain who also co-founded a black officer leadership group that openly denounced racism within the police force.

Since taking office in 2022, he has been largely vocal in his support of the city’s police department, backing top officials accused of misconduct and working to kill legislation unpopular in the department.

He has publicly defended a high-ranking chief, Jeffrey Maddrey, who was accused of ordering the release of a retired police officer accused of brandishing a gun at children. And he has rejected calls to fire a close adviser involved in police decisions, Tim Pearson, who is facing multiple sexual harassment lawsuits.

Earlier this year, Adams veto legislation forcing the department to collect and release more data about police encounters with New Yorkers, sparking a feud with progressive members of the City Council. Meanwhile, a push by the NYPD to crack down on its perceived critics, including judges and council members, on social media has received the mayor’s approval.

The NYPD’s process for disciplining officers has long been a point of contention, with some cases against officers dragging on for years. In a January speech outlining his priorities for 2024, Adams pledged to cut that time in half.

“When a citizen files a complaint, we must act more quickly to resolve the issue,” he said.

However, the number of complaints of misconduct against officers is higher than in 2012. In addition, Adams has slashed the budget of the agency that investigates allegations of misconduct and makes disciplinary recommendations, forcing the agency to scale back its investigations.

Rice said in a speech to the City Council in April that the city’s “continued underfunding” of the Civilian Complaint Review Board “makes it nearly impossible to keep up with the ever-increasing workload.” She also called on the city to give the board the final authority to take disciplinary action against officers, which currently lies with the police chief.

In many cases, the city’s police chief, Edward Caban, has rejected the review board’s recommendations. Internal documents obtained by ProPublica Caban has also managed to save at least 54 cases from going to court, many more than his predecessors.

Loyda Colón, executive director of Communities United for Police Reform, said Rice’s firing sends an additional message to officers that they can act with impunity.

Of Adams’ administration, Colón said, “His dismantling of already weak mechanisms to discipline officers is especially appalling as the NYPD’s wrongful stops have risen to their highest level since 2015, complaints of police misconduct have increased by more than 50% in a single year, and officers are fatally shooting New Yorkers at the highest rate in a decade.”