Cops Must Report Any Use of Force Under New NYPD Rules

Every time they lay a hand on someone, New York police officers will now have to fill out a Use of Force report. Perhaps in response to the record number of claims filed against them last year, the NYPD announced new rules on Thursday that close large loopholes in the existing system, the New York Daily News reports. For instance, cops have never been required to report using force on someone who wasn't arrested.

On Thursday, Inspector General Phil Eure said the NYPD's current methods for tracking use-of-force incidents are out of the "dark ages." Under new guidelines, "force" will be measured in three levels. Level one is hand strikes, kicks, pepper spray, or tackle-and-cuff takedowns like the one ex tennis star James Blake endured last month. Level two is the use of batons and Tasers, and level three is anything to do with firearms.

Cops will also have to specify any injuries they inflicted in their reports, and injuries will be categorized, too. Level one injuries are bruises, level two injuries require an ER visit, and level three injuries are defined as "prolonged hospitalization and critical injuries." They'll also be encouraged to report use of force by other officers—if a cop witnesses a fellow officer using force and doesn't report it, they could be disciplined or dismissed, said NYPD's Chief of Staff Kevin Ward. Ward also said that officers who fail to fill out reports will be "disciplined," but he didn't specify what consequences they'll face.

The new rules, announced to the NYPD via an interdepartmental memo, will take effect early next year. Unsurprisingly, the city's largest police union wasn't happy with the new policies. Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch said in a statement that, "More paperwork coupled with a serious shortage of police officers and the continual second-guessing of their actions is a formula for disaster."