Report: Watchdogs proving more NYPD complaints

NEW YORK (WABC) -- A report by the New York City agency charged with investigating police misconduct complaints shows that more allegations of excessive force are being substantiated.

The Civilian Complaint Review Board's midyear report released Monday says that six percent of force allegations were substantiated between January and June of 2015. That's the most since the second half of 1999.

In the first six months of 2015, the CCRB substantiated 237 complaints against 354 officers, up from 133 complaints against 187 officers last year.

From October 2014 through June 2015, investigators also substantiated 12 police chokehold cases.

While overall complaints are down, the report finds that about 1,800 officers of the 35,000-member police force are behind 80 percent of force complaints.

The report concludes that cell phone video helps investigators back up complaints.

One recent video began like so many other police encounters, captured midway through in all their grainy glory.

In this case, a suspect was on the run, cops chasing and yelling, when the suspect's mother, at the time five months pregnant tried to defend her son.

It did not end well for her or for the woman who tried to defend her.

But months later, the Civilian Complaint Review Board substantiated claims of excessive force.

It's a finding that would have been impossible without that video.

"We no longer have the 'he said, she said' situations that are impossible to prove and in the past have led to very low levels of substantiated complaints," said Richard Emery, CCRB Chairman.

Monday night, the chair of the CCRB told Eyewitness News when it comes to complaints the board fully investigates, in the first six months of 2015, it substantiated that 21% of them constituted abuses of authority or excessive force. That's up from 15% the year before.

But at same time, the CCRB says overall complaints about cops have plummeted 22%, to the lowest number since 2001.

"So what we're seeing is a group of complaints which are very well verified, but overall civilian interactions with the police department are on the mend and they're getting much better," Emery said.

In this case, in Sunset Park Brooklyn last September, the CCRB recommended the officer involved lose up to five vacation days.

Community activist Dennis Flores, whose organization released this video in the first place, says that discipline is not enough.

"It's great that cases get substantiated, but the reality is it has no teeth, has no bearing, when the type of discipline they make recommendations for is minor," Flores said.

(Some information from the Associated Press)