Success! NYPD Says It Will Fix Sex Crimes Stats Reporting

Never doubt that a small or large group of concerned citizens can make a big difference.

Thanks to the hundreds of emails sent by Change.org members and action taken by advocates and concerned police officers themselves, the New York Police Department is changing how it handles sex crime statistics. According to the Wall Street Journal, The NYPD is accepting six recommendations from the recently convened Sex Crimes Working Group to change the way reported rapes and sexual assaults are handled to ensure that victims of these crimes are treated respectfully. In other words, we're hopeful that the downgrading of sex crimes in NYC will soon be a thing of the past.

In a post by Women's Rights editor Alex DiBranco and my own earlier post on Change.org, we have been reporting on the ways in which the NYPD has been "manipulating" statistics on rape and sexual assault in the city. The Village Voice initially uncovered, earlier this year, a pattern of undercharging reported rapes as misdemeanors instead of felonies -- or simply ignoring them altogether -- by the NYPD. Officers were ordered by their superiors to underreport or cover-up sexual assault cases in order to meet "performance measurements" for specific crimes.

Police officers themselves came forward to expose the false reports; a tenacious journalist who had been assaulted herself demanded answers from the Manhattan District Attorney; and groups like the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault consistently made claims that the downgrading of rape and sexual assault charges was a chronic problem.

Change.org member Jaclyn Munson said enough is enough, as well, and created a petition asking NYC Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly to take allegations of rape seriously and to stop under-reporting charges of rape. Over 500 Change.org members signed the petition. And our requests for a change have made a difference.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Sex Crimes Working Group was formed in the wake of this scandal by Kelly himself. As of December 22nd, 2010, the NYPD accepted all the recommendations made by the committee. The report recommends that all reports of rape and sexual assault be assigned to the Special Victims Unit, and that officers receive special training in order to increase sensitivity when dealing with victims. Currently, patrol officers may respond to sexual assault complaints, but moving forward, this will be the domain of the Special Victims Department. The committee also suggests working more closely with the prosecutor and having Kelly meet regularly with victims' advocacy groups.

The NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault is one group integral in this change. The organization responded to the Change.org members' action, in a comment on an earlier Change.org post, reminding readers that the city should expect more from its police officers charged with protecting them.

You certainly expected more, as a change-maker, and your actions are what helped to fuel that change. These recommendations will make a concrete difference in the lives of women and girls throughout New York City. Thank you to NYPD Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly for responding and working with concerned citizens, advocates, and all of us at Change.org.

Photo credit: SqueakyMarmot

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