By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
CITY HALL — Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is urging Police Commissioner Ray Kelly to respond to allegations reported by DNAinfo that police officers covered up incidents of domestic violence and drunk driving as part of a massive ticket-fixing scandal.
"The participation of any officers in the suppression of these reports would constitute a profound betrayal of the public trust and could rise to the level of a felony," de Blasio wrote in a letter addressed to Kelly last week.
As DNAinfo columnist Murray Weiss first reported, in addition to allegedly making traffic tickets disappear for family, friends and big wigs, including a Yankees executive and local politicians, several officers are now allegedly under investigation for trying to squash domestic violence incidents involving off-duty cops.
Others allegedly tried to intervene in drunk-driving incidents involving fellow officers, sources have said.
As many as 500 members of the force could face disciplinary action, while others are facing criminal charges, sources have said.
In his letter, de Blasio said the alleged cover-ups "represent serious threats to the safety of New Yorkers," arguing the revelations might discourage victims of domestic violence from stepping forward and undermine the city’s zero-tolerance police against drunk driving.
He called on Kelly to come forward with as many details as possible, "within reason," about how the department has responded to the allegations, including revealing the number of domestic violence and DWI cases involved, and disclosing whether the alleged cover-ups were discovered after the fact, or before alleged tampering by police.
