Mayor Eric Adams is reportedly attempting to remove Arva Rice, the interim chairwoman of the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), the organization responsible for investigating complaints against the NYPD. Rice, who was appointed to the board by Adams’ predecessor Bill de Blasio, has been outspoken about the effects of budget cuts on the board’s ability to fulfill its duties and publicly critical of the NYPD’s handling of a 2019 police shooting incident. Under Adams’ budget cuts, the CCRB has seen a decrease in funding, leading to a halt in investigations into certain officer behaviors due to cuts and vacancies.
Rice has requested an additional $15 million in funding from the City Council to fill vacancies and address a backlog of cases within the CCRB. She emphasized the risks of continued underfunding, including the inability to investigate complaints, unaddressed police misconduct, and a loss of public trust in the public safety system. Despite the challenges faced by the CCRB, Rice expressed gratitude for the council’s support of her funding request and highlighted the importance of adequately funding the CCRB to serve New York City.
In her testimony, Rice criticized the NYPD’s handling of the Kawaski Trawick case, where the department allegedly failed to provide evidence to the CCRB during an investigation into Trawick’s death. The lack of cooperation from the NYPD made it impossible for the CCRB to complete its probe before the statute of limitations expired. Rice condemned the circumvention of the disciplinary process and emphasized the essential role of the CCRB in ensuring public safety and accountability within the NYPD. Despite opposition from the NYPD, Rice has continued to advocate for the CCRB’s independence and effectiveness in investigating police misconduct.
During a monthly meeting of the CCRB, Rice once again criticized the NYPD’s failure to adequately investigate the actions of officers involved in the Trawick case, as well as the judge’s flawed recommendation that the officers committed no wrongdoing. Subsequently, Mayor Adams’ advisor, Philips Banks, approached Rice, asking her to resign from her position. Rice attempted to seek a meeting with the mayor to discuss the situation, expressing a desire for a replacement to take over her interim role. It remains uncertain whether Rice will resign or if Adams will have to find a replacement to remove her from the position of interim chairperson.
Reports suggest that Rice is expected to comply with the administration’s request and step down from her role in the coming weeks. Despite being a holdover appointment from the previous administration, Rice has been a vocal advocate for addressing the challenges faced by the CCRB due to budget cuts and vacancies in staff. Her departure from the CCRB could have implications for the future of civilian oversight of the NYPD and the ability of the board to investigate complaints effectively. It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold and who will ultimately replace Rice in leading the oversight board.
