Ray Kelly To NYPD Cops: Do Your Jobs

"Fear my stationary"

Occasionally, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly jots down a memo on some NYPD stationary (we imagine it features Snoopy, or Popeye) to remind his force to ease up on low-level marijuana arrests or stop harassing journalists. But a new department-wide memo released on Tuesday and obtained by the Daily News has a much simpler message: do your job. Specifically, when someone reports a crime, cops should take them seriously and follow proper procedure.

Officers were commanded to file reports even if the victim can't identify a suspect, or if they can't produce a receipt for stolen goods, or if they won't speak to detectives, and even if they don't want to prosecute a suspect. Crucially, Kelly tells officers not to refer victims of crime to another precinct if the incidents didn't happen in their own.

Does the memo have anything to do with the allegations that the NYPD has been fudging stats to keep crime low? Of course not, police spokesman Paul Browne says. "We use operations to periodically remind personnel of proper procedures."

And what about that panel of former prosecutors Kelly formed over a year ago to review the allegations of crime stat manipulation? They haven't reached any conclusions yet. Councilmember Peter Vallone tells the paper he's heard from too many constituents about the difficulty they face getting the NYPD's attention. “Everything from, ‘You have to go the precinct to file a report’ to, ‘We’re not going to take a report because you didn’t get a good look at the guy who robbed you.' It’s happened far too often to attribute it to a few confused police officers.”

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By Christopher Robbins in News on January 21, 2012 4:00 PM

Comments [rss]

Guest

When Kelly gets replaced the NYPD will most likely get better. This department rots from the top down.

Caleb_Grey

This is bad news for dutch tourists carrying macy's bags.

LICnative

He INVENTED the conspiracy to shit can complaints, so every year, we could be told that crime is way down. For the city, it means real estate still retains it's values, the taxes on that real estate continue to come in and tourists feel safe in spending their money here.

Now we're supposed to celebrate the fact that the guy who orchestrated the smoke and mirrors is distancing himself from it?

I think I'm underwhelmed.

cetriche

I know you're busy being rapists and all...

kenorasis

PC to MOS: Three Things to Always Remember
1) CompStat matters more than anything else.
2) Do what you have to do. We've got your back.
3) From time to time, I'll have to leak memos to the press (and Gothamist), but don't let those memos distract you from items 1 and 2 above.