Report: Civilian Complaints Of NYPD Misconduct Jump Nearly 70 Percent

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Complaints of wrongdoing by NYPD officers are up nearly 70 percent.

As WCBS 880's Stephanie Colombini reported, the spike was reported by the city's Civilian Complaint Review Board and it has civil rights advocates like Chris Dunn with the New York Civil Liberties Union concerned.

"We had the highest number last year than any of the given prior years by a wide margin," said Dunn.

Last year saw 531 cases of wrongdoing substantiated -- up from 315 in 2014.

"So it's alarming and it looks like there's a bigger problem of police misconduct on the street," said Dunn.

But CCRB Chairman Richard Emery disagrees. He said complaints made about police officers have been down in recent years, and claimed it is a small group of bad actors that is to blame.

"Our goal, and the New York City Police Department's goal, is to find those people and weed them out, and get them off the force," Emery said.

Emery also credited the substantiated complaints to efficient investigations often aided by video evidence.

Still, Dunn said the NYPD needs to look into whether there's been an increase in police misconduct.

WCBS 880 has reached out to the NYPD for comment, but they've yet to respond.