Council Votes To Broaden Police Panel
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Independent civilians will be added to the Police Department panel that reviews complaints of police misconduct, under a bill approved yesterday by the City Council that culminates 20 years of debate on the issue in New York City. The Council also passed a bill to prohibit landlords, cooperative-apartment boards and condominium owners from rejecting people because of their occupations, and it approved Mayor Koch’s nomination of two new members to the City Planning Commission. The two bills now go to the Mayor for his signature; he has previously endorsed both measures. Since Mayor John V. Lindsay appointed four outsiders to a seven-member panel in 1966, New Yorkers have disputed whether civilians from outside the Police Department should be members of the Civilian Complaint Review Board. Mr. Lindsay’s action, which fulfilled a campaign pledge, infuriated the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association. The union pushed successfully for a referendum on the civilian-dominated panel, and, after a bitter campaign, the voters overwhelmingly abolished it. A Change in Public Attitude Mr. Koch, who has said he always favored an independent review board in principle, had opposed efforts to create one, saying he feared that it would divide the city. But last year, after a series of accusations of police misconduct, including the torturing of prisoners with an electric stun gun in a Queens station house, the Mayor said he thought the public’s attitude had changed. The Mayor then endorsed the idea of adding outsiders to the board and, testifying in favor of the bill at a committee hearing two weeks ago, he said he thought the time was right to do so. The legislation, which has been opposed by the police officers’ union, would increase the size of the review board to 12 members from 10. The Mayor would appoint the six outsiders - one from each borough and one citywide representative - with the approval of the Council. The Police Commissioner would appoint the other six members from among the Police Department’s employees. The board now is made up entirely of department employees. Approved by 27-to-7 Vote The measure was approved by the Council by a vote of 27 to 7. Proponents contended that the addition of independent members would enhance the public perception that the review board was impartial. Opponents said it would hurt the morale of police officers. Councilman Sal F. Albanese, a Brooklyn Democrat, said he doubted that civilians from outside the department would be able to ”read between the lines” when officers were accused of misconduct. He said the bill was unnecessary and ”might have a negative impact on police performance and public safety.” Councilwoman Mary Pinkett, Democrat of Brooklyn, said, ”It would seem to me that the morale of the police would be better served by providing them with a means for achieving greater public confidence.” The president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, Phil Caruso, said two weeks ago that if the legislation became law, the union would challenge it in court. He also said the union would contend before the city’s Office of Collective Bargaining that the measure was a unilateral change that would violate the union’s contract. A spokesman for the union, Dennis Sheehan, reiterated yesterday that it would fight the addition of outside civilians to the board. Unfairly Denied Housing More : query.nytimes.com |