Brennan Center for Justice

On June 26, 2013, the New York City Council voted 40 to 11 to pass a bill establishing an inspector general for the New York Police Department (NYPD). The Brennan Center applauds passage of the bill, based on a proposal issued by the Brennan Center in 2012, as a victory for all New Yorkers and supports the City Council's ongoing effort to create oversight for our nation's largest police force.

In addition to our proposal, which draws on similar oversight positions in the FBI and other major police, the Center has issued several fact sheets, op-eds, blog posts, and information to the press to the highlight the need for oversight of our nation's largest police force.

This page is a compilation of all of our work in support of an Inspector General.

Publications | Testimony | Lawsuit | Op-eds | Press Releases | Blogs | Background

Publications:

• A Proposal for an NYPD Inspector General (October 9, 2012)
• NYPD Inspector General Bill: A Fact Sheet (May 28, 2013)
• NYPD Inspector General:  Fact v. Fiction (March 28, 2013)
• Unchecked NYPD Operations in Need of Oversight (October 6, 2011).

Testimony:

• Letter to New York City Council in Support of Oversight for NYPD, by Frederick A. O. (“Fritz”) Schwarz, Jr., Victor A. Kovner, and Peter L. Zimroth (March 28, 2013).
• Testimony Before New York City Council Public Safety Committee Hearing on Community Safety Act, by Faiza Patel (October 10, 2012). 
• Testimony for Hearing on Ending Racial Profiling in America, by Faiza Patel and Elizabeth Goitein (April 17, 2012).

Lawsuit:

• Lawsuit Alleges NYPD Surveillance of Muslims is Discriminatory (June 18, 2013).

Op-eds:

• An Inspector General for the Police: An Assurance of Constitutional Safeguards, Faiza Patel (New York Times' Room for Debate, April 9, 2013).
• Oversight Will Help, Not Hurt, the NYPD, Frederick A. O. (“Fritz”) Schwarz, Jr. and Victor A. Kovner (New York's Daily News, March 28, 2013).
• NYPD Muslim Spying Operation Takes 'Security' to an Unjustified Extreme, Faiza Patel and Amos Toh (The Guardian, February 6, 2013).
• Religious Profiling:  An Unwelcome Guest, Elizabeth (Liza) Goitein and Faiza Patel (The Hill's Congress Blog, April 17, 2012).
• Surveillance of American Muslims: A Tale of Three Cities, Faiza Patel and Michael Price (Al Jazeera, April 12, 2012 ).
• The NYPD Needs Policing, Faiza Patel and Elizabeth (Liza) Goitein (The New York Times, January 30, 2012).
• NYPD Goes Too Far in Monitoring Muslims, Faiza Patel, (New York Daily News, October 14, 2011).

Blogs:

• Muslims Push Back Against NYPD Surveillance, Faiza Patel and Michael Price (June 24, 2013).
• Independent Oversight Needed to Curb NYPD Stop and Frisk Abuse, Experts Say, Shannon Parker (May 30, 2013).
• Improving LGBT Police Relations Through an NYPD Inspector General, Amos Toh (April 2, 2013).
• Another Call for NYPD Oversight, Erik Opsal (February 22, 2012).
• The NYPD: Making the FBI Look Good, Faiza Patel and Andrew Sullivan (December 1, 2011).
• Lawyers Take NYPD to Court, Faiza Patel (October 4, 2011).

Press Releases:

• Brennan Center Applauds Passage of Bill to Create Inspector General for NYPD, Brennan Center (June 27, 2013).
• Statement on Lawsuit vs. NYPD on Illegal Surveillance of Muslim Americans, Brennan Center (February 4, 2013)
• New Proposal Calls for the Creation of an Inspector General for the NYPD, Brennan Center (October 9, 2012)
• Latest Surveillance Allegations Show Need for NYPD Oversight, Brennan Center (February 22, 2012)
• City Council Members, Civil Rights Advocates Press Conference Puts Spotlight on NYPD Operations, Brennan Center (October 6, 2011)
• Brennan Center, Muslim Advocates, AALDEF Request Intelligence Records, Brennan Center (September 21, 2011)

Media Round-Up:

• I.G. for NYPD Wins Support from 3 Former Corporation Counsels, Andrew Keshner, The New York Law Journal (April 2, 2013).
• NYC Mayoral Hopeful Chris Quinn Touts Support For Her Backing of NYPD Inspector General, Celeste Katz, New York Daily News (March 28, 2013).
• Do We Need An NYPD Inspector General?, What Really Matters NYC (March 27, 2013). Interview with Faiza Patel.
• Mayoral Candidates Criticizing NYPD On Stop and Frisk Punt on Muslim Surveillance, Matt Sledge, Huffington Post (February 12, 2013).
• NYPD Spying on Muslim Community, Andrea Sears, WBAI (February 5, 2013). Interview with Faiza Patel.
• Deputy commissioner calls proposed inspector general for NYPD 'wasteful', Cassandra Garrison, Metro NY (December 3, 2012).
• NYPD Oversight, Independent Inspector General Eyed at Panel Discussion at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Jennifer Peltz, Huffington Post (October 24, 2012).
• Inspector General for NYPD, New York Law Journal (October 11, 2012).