Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly laid down the law to the NYPD: Make it easier for New Yorkers to report crimes and make each one of them count.
In a memo obtained by the Daily News, Kelly provided a veritable ‘Policing 101’ refresher.
The operational order spells out in painstaking detail the steps cops are supposed to take when someone wants to report a crime. It also warns cops to eliminate excuses for not taking complaints from victims.
Police officers were told to take reports even if:
l The victim can’t identify the suspect.
l Someone can’t provide a receipt for stolen items.
l The victim refuses to view photographs.
l The complainant won’t speak with detectives.
l The victim doesn’t want to prosecute an offender.
The memo urges police officers not to refer crime victims to another precinct if the crimes didn’t happen in their command. And Kelly reminds cops not to tell people to return to crime scenes and call 911 after they’ve come to a police station to report a crime.
The operations order issued on Tuesday comes, as the NYPD and others are investigating claims that police officers — under pressure to make the city appear safer — are fudging stats or making it difficult for people to report crimes.
Police officials called the operational order routine and denied it was prompted by controversy.
“We use operations to periodically remind personnel of proper procedures,” Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said.
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