New Yorkers can now look up the records of police they encounter

An NYPD officer walks along a sparsely populated Wall Street on May 1, 2020 in Manhattan. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

It’s now easier for New Yorkers to learn more about the police officers who have sworn to keep them safe through a new online database created by the Legal Aid Society, which it believes is the most comprehensive collection of officer misconduct records to date.

Law Enforcement Look Up — shared exclusively with Gothamist ahead of its public launch Monday — allows users to search through thousands of records obtained by the public defender organization over the years. The records include civil lawsuits filed against police officers, documents from NYPD internal investigations, Civilian Complaint Review Board allegations and a trove of district attorney letters regarding officers’ credibility — some obtained by Gothamist. The site also houses a smaller set of records on city Department of Correction staff discipline.

WNYC public safety reporter Samantha Max got a sneak peek at the website ahead of its public release. She sat down with Morning Edition host Michael Hill to discuss how it works. Listen to their conversation here and read the full story on Gothamist.com.