Current News

/

ArcaMax

Civilian complaint probes of NYPD dropped because of budget cuts are back on track, including one against top chief

Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News on

Published in News & Features

NEW YORK — A complaint about a top NYPD chief’s tweet is among 1,000 misconduct allegations that the Civilian Complaint Review Board might now be able to investigate, due to a budget restoration of nearly $1.2 million previously cut, the watchdog agency said.

Chief of Patrol John Chell in January posted on X his opinion of a planned “Flood JFK for Gaza” protest at JFK International Airport.

“What can’t I say that has not been said.” the tweet said. “Don’t flood our highways and inconvenience our hard working tax paying New Yorkers. If you do, we will try to flood our jail cells with you and take your car! On behalf of the 99.9% of New Yorkers, enough already! Strength and honor!!!”

The day of the protest police made a handful of arrests and issued six criminal court summonses. A police source said there were also more than 100 traffic summonses issued.

Someone on social media, meanwhile, tagged the CCRB about Chell’s post, according to Clarie Platt, a CCRB spokeswoman.

But the case was closed without an investigation once it was determined that the allegation — abuse of authority/threat of arrest — was among those the CCRB had said it could not probe because of a November budget cut of nearly $1.3 million. The incidents not investigated were limited to instances in which there was only one allegation, such as refusing to provide a shield number, seizing someone’s property or improperly taking someone to a hospital.

But in June, Platt said, $1.2 million was restored. The CCRB will now investigate the allegations that had been closed — but only if the person who first filed the complaint asks the CCRB to do so and if it’s determined that the probe can be completed before the statute of limitations runs out, which is 18 months from the day of the initial complaint.

 

Chell could not be reached for comment, but a source close to him said the tweet was a promise — not a threat — to arrest those who break the law. The source acknowledged that Chell did not in the tweet mention protesters’ First Amendment rights but said the chief and other police brass have time and again noted the department supports the right to demonstrate.

Chell and other police officials earlier this year started pushing back on social media, calling out reporters, politicians and judges. It was a move that lead to a City Council grilling by Speaker Adrienne Adams at a budget hearing.

The Daily News reported at the time that Chell and Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry had been ordered by City Hall not to attend to avoid creating a “circus” atmosphere.

Former Police Commissioner Edward Caban at one point told The News that he backed the social media push, though he stopped short of saying he agreed with the tone of the postings.

Social media postings by top police brass have been less forceful since Interim Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon was sworn in less than a month ago.


©2024 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus