Under a new plan, some cops accused of wrongdoing won't face internal NYPD reviews, but prosecution from outside attorneys who specialize in police misconduct. According to the Daily News, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the Civilian Complaint Review Board now has authority to charge and prosecute officers in some cases when civilians file complaints. The Times reports that the board currently investigates cases and refers them to police for prosecution, though the NYPD only prosecutes some cases. The New York Civil Liberties Union says the new policy isn't "real reform" and could be "an empty gesture" because civilian lawyers will only be able to "prosecute a small number of cases handpicked by the NYPD." more ›

More proof that NY is just as seen on Seinfeld: Residents of an Upper West Side co-op fought to get a chair for their trusted but tired doorman, and after three months they finally won! The saga began last year when members of the board at 650 West End Avenue got rid of the building’s desk and chair while it was remodeling. It reasoned that the doorman would be quicker and more alert from a standing post, but after months watching him suffer upright, residents protested. "We believe that it is inhumane to require that our doormen must stand during an eight-hour shift without a break," they wrote in a petition. "We do not feel that they would slack off or do their jobs less efficiently." The board acted quickly, saying the doorman didn’t have to stand—however it was too stingy to actually offer him a seat. Funds have yet to be allocated for the purchase of a new stool, reported the NY Post. more ›

Foot model Christina Ambers and her husband Angel Rotger have officially left the building. The duo caused quite a stir at their Upper East Side co-op after falling in love in 2007, when Rotger was Ambers' doorman there. At first it was reported they were receiving harsh treatment from uppity neighbors who didn't support socializing with the help — Rotger was actually fired when the relationship continued — but later some unsavory stories came out about the couple. more ›

If it's November, it's time to start dreading the Holiday tipping ritual. How much do you give the super or the doorman or—no joke—the sanitation worker? Well, if you're the board of directors at a tony co-op, the solution is simple: Nothing. A thread on the Urban Baby message board has sparked a vigorous debate about noblesse oblige during a recession, beginning thus:

SANTA CLAUS CAME EARLY!!! Just got a notice from our co-op board: "In response to past complaints about favoritism, and in light of the current recession that has dealt a significant blow to many of our shareholders, the board of directors of (XYZ Building) has implemented a strict "no tipping" policy for the building staff." THANK YOU SANTA!!!

Former MTA board member Alan Friedberg got so busted today by the Daily News, which is running photos of him illegally parking his bloody Jaguar with a police-issued parking permit on the dashboard. (For added indignation, the photographer caught him standing by the car with his sneering, fur coat-clad wife.) Like other past and current MTA board members, Friedberg was supposed to turn in the placard last year, but on Sunday he was spotted parking in a restricted zone on 43rd Street. He says it was only for a few minutes so he could check out a demonstration against Israel's invasion of Gaza. Of course, the abuse of parking perks has long been a hallmark of "public service"; who could forget City Planning Commissioner Dolly Williams's infamous Porsche park job in Park Slope? Or MTA board member Nancy Shevell's illegal SUV parking while she got her nails done? more ›

Mark David Chapman was just denied parole for a fifth time, and although nothing really stands out, CityRoom notes that with this hearing "some details that were not publicly discussed during Mr. Chapman’s previous attempts at obtaining parole" surfaced. In the interview he discussed his crime with the parole board, and noted of his shooting John Lennon: "I don't recall saying: Mr. Lennon. I think that was something that the press elaborated on; that did not happen, he didn't turn I shot him in the back." He continued on, saying he's changed, apologizing to Lennon's family and noting that if released he would go work on a farm upstate, where a man had offered him a job. The board decided to keep him locked up, of course--and as Yoko Ono said herself, he's "safer" in jail. more ›

"Uncompensated" MTA board members are not the only ones benefiting from a policy of free E-ZPasses. As the board found it necessary to pass toll and fare hikes to regular commuters, it made sure that not only were they insulated from the cost of traveling around NYC, but their wives were as well. One member even gave his girlfriend an all-inclusive Metro-North rail pass. The value of these perks is in the thousands of dollars annually for each individual. more ›

The 20-member New York Times editorial board nearly endorsed Barack Obama for president, but ultimately Times chairman and publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. pushed through a Clinton endorsement, anonymous sources have told The New Republic. The behind-the-scenes article echoes conjecture from New York Magazine that Sulzberger’s BFF gym buddy Steven Rattner, a major Clinton donor and former Times reporter, may have been the deciding factor. more ›

New York City's Conflict of Interest Board ruled that there was no problem in Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff continuing to work with real estate developers on multi-billion dollar real estate projects while a city employee, even though he'll be shortly negotiating with these same developers as a private citizen and President of Bloomberg LP, the Mayor's media corporation. According to the New York Post, the board cited "extraordinary circumstances" and said that Doctoroff's negotiations on behalf of the city with Vornado Realty Trust regarding the development of the Hudson Yards and Moynihan station were allowable. Doctoroff recently announced that he will be leaving his City Hall job for the position of President of Bloomberg LP. That company will be negotiating with Vornado for additional space at the building that houses Bloomberg LP's headquarters on Lexington Ave., since Vornado owns that building. The Conflicts of Interest Board gave its blessing on the condition that Doctoroff have no direct dealings with Vornado for a year after he leaves his position as Deputy Mayor. more ›