The New York Police Department is trying to root out its problem officers and monitor patterns of misbehavior with a new database that combines information on lawsuits, misconduct complaints, internal probes and such seemingly mundane data as sick leave and overtime.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Lawrence Byrne says it's the first time a city agency has taken a systemic look at such data to hunt for possible patterns and problems — not just for discipline.
It's a massive shift in how the nation's largest department uses information about its officers, and it represents a more collaborative approach with other city agencies that did not previously exist. The external data collected comes from the city's law department, comptroller's office, and Civilian Complaint Review Board.