- Data is inherently limited at accurately capturing the complexity of life. It reduces complicated people, events and places into data points that simplify these things for the purposes of pattern recognition. We have strived to present this data, with its limitations, fairly and accurately, without over-stating its significance.
- This data was collected from allegations made in civil rights lawsuits by plaintiffs mostly seeking money damages and charges prosecuted administratively by the NYPD's Department Advocate's Office (and in a few cases, the Civilian Complaint Review Board). We have not investigated these lawsuit or departmental allegations, spoken to the people making them in order to determine their credibility, assessed any evidence in these cases, reviewed judges' outcomes, nor interviewed any officers accused of misconduct. Additionally, please note that sometimes multiple lawsuits may have been filed about a single incident.
- We are reporting a summary of the allegations and the outcome, which sometimes is a settlement in lawsuits and could be a plea in a disciplinary case. Settlements and pleas are common and sometimes are chosen as a way to end a litigation process rather than because the allegations reflect the truth of what happened or the strength of the evidence.
- Because officers’ names are often not easily known to people interacting with police, sometimes the officers named in lawsuits might be the named officer in the arrest paperwork but not the officer who actually committed the misconduct.
- For more about what this data is, and what it isn’t, click here.
- Information contained on this website is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.