Perception or Reality: An Examination of Police Misconduct, Organizational Justice, and Promotion Opportunities in the NYPD

Abstract

Scholars across multiple disciplines have identified numerous correlates to police misconduct. Missing, however, from this body of research is the impact of police misconduct on future promotion opportunities in a local police department. Using population data (N = 33,358) released by New York city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) from September 1985 to July 2020, this study employs logistic regression to examine civilian complaints that were found to be substantiated, in comparison to complaints that were found to be unsubstantiated or exonerated, and their effect on police officers moving up in rank beyond the incident. The intent is to examine the relationship between police misconduct and promotion. In addition, recognizing the inherent differences in the promotion process for detectives from all other officer ranks, we found that the odds of detectives being promoted to higher ranks are somewhat impacted by the outcomes of complaints, but not by the types of complaints received. However, our findings suggest that all other officers are impacted by the outcomes of civilian complaints, in addition to the types of complaints received, in terms of promotion. Furthermore, we found that the severity of police misconduct, captured by the CCRB-recommended disciplinary actions associated with substantiated complaints, matters for NYPD officer promotability for first-time offenders differently than for officers who repeatedly engage in misconduct.