Schoolcraft v. The City Of New York et al

Filing 298

DECLARATION of Suzanna P. Mettham in Support re: 297 MOTION for Summary Judgment .. Document filed by Christopher Broschart(Tax Id. 915354 in his official capacity), Christopher Broschart(Tax Id. 915354 Individually), Timothy Caughey(Tax Id. 885374 Individually), Timothy Caughey(Tax Id. 885374 in his official capacity), Kurt Duncan(Shield No. 2483, Individually), Kurt Duncan(Shield No. 2483 in his official capacity), William Gough(Tax Id. 919124, Individually), William Gough(Tax Id. 919124, in his Official Capacity), Thomas Hanley(Tax Id. 879761, in his Official Capacity), Thomas Hanley(Tax Id. 879761, Individually), Elise Hanlon(in her official capacity as a lieutenant with the New York City Fire Department), Elise Hanlon(individually), Shantel James(Shield No. 3004 in his official capacity), Shantel James(Shield No. 3004 Individually), Theodore Lauterborn(Tax Id. 897840 in his official capacity), Theodore Lauterborn(Tax Id. 897840, Individually), Michael Marino, Michael Marino, Gerald Nelson(Assistant Chief Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, Tax Id. 912370 in his official capacity), Gerald Nelson(Assistant Chief Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, Tax Id. 912370, Individually), Robert W. O'Hare(Tax Id. 916960, Individually), Robert W. O'Hare(Tax Id. 916960, in his Official Capacity), Frederick Sawyer(Shield No. 2576 in his official capacity), Frederick Sawyer(Shield No. 2576, Individually), The City Of New York, Timothy Trainer(Tax Id. 899922, in his Official Capacity), Timothy Trainer(Tax Id. 899922, Individually), Richard Wall, Sondra Wilson(Shield No. 5172, in her Official Capacity), Sondra Wilson(Shield No. 5172, Individually). (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Exhibit B, # 3 Exhibit C, # 4 Exhibit D, # 5 Exhibit E, # 6 Exhibit F, # 7 Exhibit G, # 8 Exhibit H, # 9 Exhibit I, # 10 Exhibit J, # 11 Exhibit K, # 12 Exhibit L, # 13 Exhibit M, # 14 Exhibit N, # 15 Exhibit O, # 16 Exhibit P, # 17 Exhibit Q, # 18 Exhibit R, # 19 Exhibit S, # 20 Exhibit T, # 21 Exhibit U, # 22 Exhibit V, # 23 Exhibit W, # 24 Exhibit X, # 25 Exhibit Y, # 26 Exhibit Z, # 27 Exhibit AA, # 28 Exhibit BB, # 29 Exhibit CC, # 30 Exhibit DD, # 31 Exhibit EE, # 32 Exhibit FF, # 33 Exhibit GG, # 34 Exhibit HH, # 35 Exhibit II, # 36 Exhibit JJ, # 37 Exhibit KK, # 38 Exhibit LL, # 39 Exhibit MM, # 40 Exhibit NN, # 41 Exhibit OO, # 42 Exhibit PP, # 43 Exhibit QQ, # 44 Exhibit RR)(Shaffer, Ryan)

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Brooklyn's 81st Precinct probed by NYPD
for fudging stats; felonies allegedly marked
as misdemeanors
BY t:.{t{,:;{.:t.} t:'Aß.h*:,Al,t.Lt}ì.Â

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DAILY NEWS POLICE BUREAU CHIEF

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Monday, February 1,2010,9:37

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A*r**klyn precinct

is under investigation for manipulating statistics to make its

cops look like better crimefighters, the Daily News has learned.

Two probes are centered around whether Ilt::t|t*t:tJ-!i1:s',Svt:*#r:l's 81st Precinct
recorded felonies as misdemeanors and refused to take complaints from
victims - all in an effort to drive down the crime rate, sources said,
And the allegations came from one of the precinct's officers

the lnternalAffairs
Bureau and the Quality Assurance Division, the îlYfl.i unit responsible for
maintaining the integrity of crime stats.

{".}ïl'ir:*r ht3ria* 9t**rslç;t',¡lt shared his suspicions with

Schoolcraft told The News the top brass are so concerned with numbers that
one precinct lieutenant is known as "The Shredder" because he's often spotted
destroying documents,
NYPD Deputy {)t>rytrrsi*r¡i*nçtr

?í*s"t2

*row** confirmed the Quality

Assurance

Division probe. Other police sources confirmed both investigations.
"We have received these complaints, and Quality Assurance has undertaken a
review. These complaints are being reviewed as to whether or not this is true

BENJAIVIN FOR NE\^/S

Adrian Schoolcraft, a suspended NYPD officer, and Deputy lnspector Steven Mauriello (below) of
Brooklyn's 81st Precinct are on opposite sides of dispute over accuracy of crime statistics.
and whether this was done as a matter of error or intentionally," Browne said

Schoolcraft gave The News the names of 14 crime victims from notes he took
at the precinct from late 2008 to October 2009.

ln interviews with The News, five crime victims appeared to back up
Schoolcraft's allegations,
Of the remaining nine, four could not be reached, three believed cops
responded correctly to their crimes and two initially told The News they had

problems with the precinct but could not be reached for further clarification.
Brooklyn mom Marbel Rentas said she was happy with 81st Precinct cops after
her son was robbed of his Sidekick phone on a basketball court in October.
"They didn't arrest no one, but the police drove him home afterward. They

were nice to him," Rentas said. The case, a source said, was correctly
classified as a robbery.
The five people who said their cases were mishandled included

- A man who said he was beaten bloody and robbed - and then told by cops he
was the victim of a "lost property" case because he didn't get a good look at
the suspects.
- Another man who said he was berated by the precinct's commanding officer,
l1*pttt'¡ lnsç;**t*r $tev¿:n l:.!ta*irtr:':11¡s, for trying to report a stolen car.
- Another stolen car victim who said it took her a month to get a complaint
taken - and that happened only when a supervisor realized she was a retired
traffic agent.
- An elderly man who said cops would not take a report when he was
burglarized, saying there was "no evidence."
- A 65-year-old woman who said
she was crying with anger and
frustration when she could not
get precinct cops to take a
report about her stolen car.
"lt's just not right," said
Schoolcraft, a seven-year
member of the NYPD. "They are
taking advantage of people. A
lot of [crime victims] don't know
any better.

"They think this is the way
things are done."

Poor work review
Schoolcraft has big problems of
his own.
He received a poor work review

early last year - his supervisors
cited his need for "constant

supervision" - and was striPPed
of his gun and put on desk dutY
in April after telling an NYPD
doctor he thought work stress
caused his stomach and chest
pains.
Schoolcraft did not have any
paperwork from his NYPD
medical evaluation,
He has been suspended since
Halloween, when supervisors

said he left work an hour early
without permission,
Police went to his Queens home

that night to bring him back to
the precinct stationhouse,
where he faced suspension for
going AWOL. Schoolcraft
refused to accompany the cops,
and the confrontation

apparently escalated,
He was deemed unstable and

Adrian Schoolcraft, a suspended NYPD officer, and Deputy
Inspector Steven Mauriello (below) of Brooklyn's Slst Precinct
are on opposite sides of dispute over accuracy of crime
statistics.

committed to a psychiatric unit
at ianair:tt *r::nlç:r for more
than six days against his will, he
said.

It is unclear what happened in those six days or exactly why Schoolcraft was
committed. Doctors who examined him al ,1;¡niti,:.:i: l'ii:*i:t1¿rl did not respond to
requests for comment.
Schoolcraft said he has been unable to obtain his medical records from them

The NYPD confirmed Schoolcraft was taken to Jamaica Hospital and admitted
for psychiatric observation.
"We don't comment on medically related issues," said NYí)1.) l*r;ptr:lt:r
T,Jtr

!llflf:.

T'i.':|',:ç,trJ

A person familiar with a psychiatric assessment of Schoolcraft done after his
release from the hospital said the officer is perhaps too naive and idealistic but
does not appear to be unbalanced.

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DAILY NEWS

Adrian Schoolcraft, a suspended NYPD officer, and Deputy lnspector Steven Mauriello (below) of
Brooklyn's 81st Precinct are on opposite sides of dispute over accuracy of crime statistics.
"This is not someone talking to himself on the street," the source said. "There's
just a naiveté there. He doesn't understand the police culture. ls he insane? ls
he psychotic? ls he manic? Absolutely not.
"l think he can be believed."
Schoolcraft has not returned to duty and lives with his father upstate, He
insisted the NYPD is trying to make him look bad because of his complaints
about the precinct's recordkeeping practices,
Mauriello, the precinct's commanding officer since 2008, called Schoolcraft's
allegations "atrocious" before referring all inquires to the NYPD's press office.
Schoolcraft , a i {::'t-iti: native, joined the NYPD in 2002 because he wanted to

serve after the Sept. 1 1,2001, terror attacks
He was assigned to the 81st Precinct in 2003, and while downgrading felonies
was a regular occurrence, he said, it did not "get out of control" until Mauriello

took over.

Sharp decline in crime
Over the past two years, the crime rate - a measure of the number of seven
major felonies in a precinct - has fallen aboul lT% in the 81st Precinct,
compared with a dip of 12% cilywide.
From 2003 to 2007, the rate in the precinct fell at a much smaller pace, and
even increased slightly one year.
Schoolcraft faces a department trial on the charges from Halloween- and he
has repeatedly refused to report to Police Headquarters to answer those
charges.
He has filed a notice of claim with the city contr.oller, indicating he plans to sue

the city,
Schoolcraft said he no longer trusts the NYPD, even though he is a reluctant
whistleblower.
"l wanted to become a police officer, chase the bad guys, and I thought the
NYPD was the best police department in the world," Schoolcraft said.

"l never thought it would turn out like this,"
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