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Council hearing spotlights spike in in‑custody deaths; families demand transparency and medical protocols
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Summary
Council members and public defenders pressed NYPD officials over a recent rise in deaths in police custody, calling for clearer protocols, better family communication and independent review; NYPD said Force Investigation Division investigates every death and DOI will look at trends.
City Council members, public defenders and family members criticized the NYPD—s handling of deaths in police custody at a Committee on Public Safety hearing, citing recent cases and persistent delays in investigations and family notifications.
Multiple council members and defense attorneys described recent in‑custody deaths as alarming and urged the NYPD to improve medical screening, share investigative findings promptly, and commit to independent review. Legal advocates and council members asked whether NYPD would support legislative changes to ensure medical care in criminal courthouses and to automatically trigger external oversight reviews for custody deaths.
"We have 45 deaths in NYPD custody over the last two plus years," Council Member Brad Lander and others noted during questioning, and multiple speakers said the number of deaths in 2023 and 2024 is the highest in nearly a decade. Public defenders recounted specific cases in which people arrested for low‑level offenses were kept in holding areas without timely medical attention. "He died alone in a cell after 10PM, hours after he and I both requested that he receive medical attention, but NYPD refused to give him medical help that could have saved his life," said defense attorney Claire Thomas, describing the case of Christopher Nieves.
Families of people who died in custody and their advocates urged CCRB jurisdiction or automatic CCRB initiation into custody deaths. CCRB leaders and defense lawyers said CCRB lacks the resources to routinely open independent investigations into every custody death; CCRB staffing, investigator pay and workload constraints are limiting factors. CCRB interim chair told the committee that fully taking on all custody‑death investigations would require a significant staffing increase.
NYPD officials said the Force Investigation Division (FID) automatically investigates deaths in custody and that the Department of Investigation (DOI) is conducting a review of recent custody deaths; FID will "look at that holistically," the deputy commissioner said. Council members pressed whether FID would retain jurisdiction when allegations include failure to render medical aid; the deputy commissioner said FID would, and emphasized the need to balance transparency with preserving investigations and avoiding disclosure that could compromise criminal inquiries.
NYPD witnesses committed to provide the committee additional written policies and to follow up on several specific requests, including whether officers involved in recent deaths had been suspended or put on modified duty. Several council members and advocates urged statutory or charter changes to give CCRB greater authority or to create an independent medical review mechanism.
Ending: Advocates and elected officials left the hearing pressing for immediate procedural reforms: clearer medical screening and escort protocols for people in custody, better family communications during active investigations, and enhanced independent investigation capacity. The committee requested written follow up from NYPD, CCRB and DOI and indicated it would continue oversight work on custody‑death trends and next steps.
