Because the NYPD couldn't handle the rigorous task of tracking their own tickets and summonses as is, leading to a wide-scale investigation into a massive ticket-fixing scheme, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly announced a new unit specifically dedicated to preventing cops from fixing tickets. We like Kelly's new motto: when you've been caught with your pants down, form a new NYPD unit to investigate who pantsed you...especially if it turns out you pantsed yourself. So much for common courtesies.
"In response to disturbing indications that some police officers failed to appear or otherwise willfully undermined a case in court, we are creating a new Court Monitoring Unit within the Internal Affairs Bureau," Kelly told City Council. More than 400 cops could be facing disciplinary charges in the massive ticket-fixing probe; in the course of that investigation, officials have uncovered other more serious crimes captured on wiretaps, including conversations in which cops arranged to meet and pay for dates with hookers, as well as officers who accepted bribes. "We’re committed to ensuring integrity at every turn. That’s why we’re bolstering IAB’s staff to give this new unit the resources it needs to pursue any sign of manipulation of the system," Kelly said today.
Kelly has formed at least two other reactionary units in the last few years to combat/investigate internal police corruption—there is the special IAB unit dedicated to cracking down on parking placard abusers and unmarked police vehicles; and in January, he created a panel to explore stat manipulation allegations, which was widely criticized.
Kelly's new IAB unit will work separately from the probe current going-on investigating the allegations. He reiterated what Mayor Bloomberg said last month about the new electronic system to track tickets: "It allows tickets to be scanned into a centralized database. This ensures proper tracking and makes it more difficult, if not impossible to misdirect or hide a summons," he said. Of course, someone should probably mention that to the cops who've figured out new ways to beat the new system.
