New Yorkers were choked, beaten and Tased by NYPD officers, but their cases were buried.

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The Big Story
Thu. Jun 27, 2024

In today’s newsletter, how the NYPD commissioner buries officers’ disciplinary cases <[link removed]>, a victim of police violence speaks <[link removed]>, our investigation into forever chemicals on The Daily Show <[link removed]>, stories on the federal government’s troubled relationship <[link removed]> with tribal nations <[link removed]> and more from our newsroom.

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New Yorkers Were Choked, Beaten and Tased by NYPD Officers. The Commissioner Buried Their Cases. <[link removed]> by Eric Umansky

VIEW STORY <[link removed]>

Editor-at-large Eric Umansky <[link removed]> answers our questions about today’s investigation.

Your story today is about the NYPD commissioner’s retention authority. How does it work?

So in New York City, a civilian oversight board investigates alleged police misconduct and prosecutes officers in disciplinary trials. When the commissioner “retains” a case, he literally takes it away from the civilian oversight board, so there’s no trial, no public questioning of officers.

The commissioner can still impose punishment. But he often doesn’t. And when he does give out a penalty, it’s almost always light, rarely more than the loss of a few vacation days.

Why is retention allowed?

TLDR: because the NYPD demanded it. A decade ago, the City Council moved to give the city’s police oversight agency the power to prosecute officers for misconduct. The NYPD, which had always been in charge of discipline for officers, fought back and insisted on a trap door: retention.

Last year you wrote about the failed promise of police body cameras <[link removed]>. Can you talk about the role of video evidence in this story?

Footage from these cases is typically not publicly available. I was able to get some videos from the victims, who are not named in investigations; I had to track them down. The footage shows instances of police brutality — Tasering, baton strikes and more — that the civilian oversight board concluded were likely crimes before the commissioner intervened.

Read the investigation <[link removed]>

🗣️ A Victim of Police Violence Speaks

She faced police violence. Then the NYPD buried her case. <[link removed]>

When Brianna Villafane took to the streets of New York City in the summer of 2020 to protest police violence, she did not expect to be the victim of it. Although a police oversight agency found that an NYPD officer’s behavior toward her during that protest constituted significant misconduct, Villafane’s case was buried. Meanwhile, the officer that attacked her has been promoted — twice.

Watch the video <[link removed]>

📺 ProPublica on The Daily Show

Sharon Lerner on The Daily Show <[link removed]>

ProPublica reporter Sharon Lerner sits down with Michael Kosta to discuss her latest piece on 3M’s use and concealment of forever chemicals <[link removed]>. They talk about how the company’s secrets came to light, where people can find forever chemicals, and what it takes to be a good investigative journalist.

Watch the interview <[link removed]>

More From Our Newsroom

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The Federal Government Just Acknowledged the Harm Its Dams Have Caused Tribes. Here’s What It Left Out. <[link removed]> The Biden administration said officials historically gave “little, if any, consideration” to impacts on tribal fishing. But some sought deliberately to upend the harvest, according to documents obtained by ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting. by Tony Schick, Oregon Public Broadcasting <[link removed]>

These Researchers Study the Legacy of the Segregation Academies They Grew Up Around <[link removed]> Three young academics in Alabama are examining these mostly white private schools through the lenses of economics, education and history to better understand the persistent division of schools in the South. by Jennifer Berry Hawes <[link removed]>

How America’s “Most Powerful Lobby” Is Stifling Efforts to Reform Oil Well Cleanup in State After State <[link removed]> In New Mexico, oil companies agreed to work with regulators to find a solution to the state’s more than 70,000 unplugged wells. After months of negotiations, the industry turned against the bill it helped shape. by Mark Olalde <[link removed]>

Texas Is the Largest GOP Stronghold Without Pro-School Voucher Legislation. Gov. Abbott Is on a Crusade to Change That. <[link removed]> Greg Abbott has campaigned against members of his own party who do not support voucher programs. This fall, he may finally get the votes needed to pass a bill — a win for the Christian conservative donors who have spent decades lobbying for it. by Jeremy Schwartz <[link removed]>

Three States Have Warned Against Sending Students to an Unregulated Boarding School for Youth With Autism <[link removed]> After visiting Shrub Oak International School, officials from Connecticut, Washington and Massachusetts have advised districts of troubling conditions at the school where a ProPublica investigation uncovered reports of abuse and neglect. by Jennifer Smith Richards and Jodi S. Cohen <[link removed]>

The Delusion of “Advanced” Plastic Recycling <[link removed]> The plastics industry has heralded a type of chemical recycling it claims could replace new shopping bags and candy wrappers with old ones — but not much is being recycled at all, and this method won’t curb the crisis. by Lisa Song, illustrations by Max Guther, special to ProPublica <[link removed]>

How a Network of Nonprofits Enriches Fundraisers While Spending Almost Nothing on Its Stated Causes <[link removed]> ProPublica identified a group of connected political nonprofits — with names like American Breast Cancer Coalition and National Coalition for Disabled Veterans — that appear to be funneling more than 90% of donations to fundraisers. by Ellis Simani <[link removed]>

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