ST. GEORGE — The city's NYPD watchdog is moving its next meeting to Staten Island and, for the first time in more than 10 years, will gather in the evening to make it easier for the public to attend.
The change was made after an outcry over Eric Garner's death during an arrest in July.
The Civilian Complaints Review Board (CCRB), which investigates allegations of police misconduct, plans to hold the meeting on Sept. 10 at Staten Island Borough Hall, instead of its usual Manhattan location, to discuss new initiatives, the agency announced.
“I am committed to building the public’s faith in the CCRB and being present in the communities where the people we serve live is an important part of that commitment,” CCRB chairman Richard Emery, who was recently appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, said in a statement.
“Going forward, our meetings will be held in every borough to listen to people who want to talk to the CCRB and to give people the chance to see the Board openly discuss and debate its actions and initiatives.”
The agency also changed the time of its meetings from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. to give people who work during the day the chance to attend, the board said.
The September meeting will discuss Emery's plans to reform the CCRB, which include prioritizing complaints and conducting faster investigations, making the complaint process easier and establishing locations in all boroughs so complainants don't have to travel to Manhattan for interviews.
The independent agency came into the spotlight in the wake of Garner's death on Staten Island in July. He was killed by an apparent chokehold administered by a police officer during an arrest for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes, the medical examiner ruled.
The board vowed to review all 1,128 chokehold complaints filed from 2009 to 2013, of which only 10 were substantiated. In those cases, officers generally went without punishment by the NYPD, The New York Times reported.
For those who can't make the Staten Island meeting, the CCRB will also livecast it on its website.
The meeting will be at Staten Island Borough Hall, Room 125, at 10 Richmond Terrace on Sept. 10 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Seating will start at 6 p.m.
