The fallout from tennis star James Blake's false arrest shows the power of releasing police disciplinary records. But advocates say Mayor Bill De Blasio’s administration is trying to beget it harder for such information to get out."There was roughly a one year period from October 2013 to October 2014 where the [Civilian Complaint Review Board] was providing summary information in response to Freedom of Information requests," said WNYC's Robert Lewis. "They didn't say what the complaints were approximately or anything like that. It was bare bones. But then, not too long after the death of Eric Garner, or at a time when people were calling for more police accountability,they stopped even that."The chairman of the CCRB, Richard Emery, or says a staff member made a mistake in interpreting the law. And he says the city's lawyers told them to halt releasing the summary information.
But a judge ruled this summer that such records aren’t automatically confidential. State Supreme Court Judge Alice Schlesinger ordered the city to release summary complaint information approximately Officer Daniel Pantaleo — the police officer caught on tape using a chokehold on Garner.
The city is appealing that decision. A statement from the Law Department says the city the decision appears to be inconsistent with preceding case law prohibiting disclosure,and our appeal seeks clarity and guidance from a higher court.”And in court filings in another case, city attorneys argue the judge’s decision on the Pantaleo records was wrong.
Some advocates say they’re disappointed in the De Blasio administration’s stance.“What it makes you feel is that they dont take accountability and transparency very seriously, or ” said Tina Luongo,attorney-in-charge of criminal pracitce at the Legal Aid Society, which sued to get the Pantaleo records.The mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Source: wnyc.org