FILING A CCRB COMPLAINT AGAINST NYPD OFFICER AND OBTAINING PRIOR COMPLAINTS

Q: I'd like to file a complaint against an NYPD officer that arrested me and lied on the report to justify the arrest. He kept bragging about how much overtime he was getting and how much money he made last year because of his arrests. I was taken to the Central Booking facility by another officer who said that the particular cop that arrested me "only sees dollar signs when he stops you". Is this something i can make a complaint for? If overtime pay plays that much of a role in his judgment, he should not be on the street. Also, is there anyway to obtain a history of all complaints against a particular officer?

A: David's Answer: You can certainly file a complaint with the CCRB. You may also wish to consider filing a false arrest lawsuit, assuming your criminal case was dismissed. You should additionally file & serve a notice of claim with the city within 90 days of the date of your arrest, to preserve state law claims. As for prior arrest reports, you can try filing a FOIA request, but the most probable way of obtaining them is via a lawsuit. - David Bliven, Bronx Civil Rights Law attorney (www.blivenlaw.net)