Public advocate looks to beef up police oversight

The Civilian Complaint and Review Board, which investigates police misconduct, would be empowered to prosecute its own cases under legislation to be unveiled Wednesday by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.

The bill, which would essentially expand and make permanent a pilot program established last month, would also give the CCRB an independent budget, similar to the city’s Independent Budget Office.

“The NYPD cannot oversee itself,” de Blasio said Tuesday. “In its current state, the Civilian Complaint Review Board, although well-intentioned, is virtually powerless.”

Last year, the CCRB received 7,674 complaints, an all-time high, according to de Blasio. Currently, when the CCRB substantiates a case of police misconduct it hands over the case to the NYPD, which has discretion over whether to prosecute.

As part of the pilot program announced last month, the police department would allow CCRB to handle a certain number of cases but details have not been worked out.

Calls to the NYPD were not returned Tuesday.