A New York City police officer who said his superiors punished him for complaining about what he said were arrest quotas has gotten his lawsuit reinstated.
In a ruling Thursday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s decision dismissing Officer Craig Matthews’ suit.
The New York Civil Liberties Union represented Matthews. It calls the ruling a victory for public employees’ free speech rights.
The city Law Department says it’s reviewing the decision.
The New York Police Department has said it doesn’t have arrest or summons quotas. Matthews’ suit said his Bronx precinct did have them and he got poor evaluations for criticizing them.
A lower court said Matthews’ complaints were not constitutionally protected because he spoke as an NYPD employee, not a citizen. Appeals judges disagreed.
(AP)
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One Response
The issue of “arrest quotas” is precisely the problem. Cops see their job as arresting people. They along with the prosecutors and their cozy judge friends have no concept of law and order.