The NY Post reports:

Despite a shrinking NYPD, the number of mistreatment claims against city cops jumped 7 percent in the first six months of 2009 — a pace that would shatter the annual record filed with the Civilian Complaint Review Board, The Post has learned.

CCRB stats show 4,028 complaints filed between Jan. 1 and June 30, compared with 3,764 in the first half of ’08. At that rate, there’d be 8,056 this year, eclipsing the 2006 record of 7,663.

With more complaints usually filed in the second half of the calendar year, a CCRB official acknowledged in May that as many as 8,200, or an 11 percent rise over last year, would likely be tallied in ’09, sources said.

And that comes at a time when the 35,700-cop force is about 13 percent smaller than in 2001, when it had 41,000 officers.

CCRB complaints fall into one or more of four categories: force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, and offensive language. This year, there have been double-digit increases in allegations of force (30 percent), abuse of authority (52 percent) and discourtesy (15 percent).

Overall, complaints are up 86 percent since 2000. But NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said the city’s 311 informational system and increased outreach have “made it much easier to file complaints.”