The NYPD has filed charges against the former commander of the 81st Precinct in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and four other supervisors for manipulating crime statistics. The charges follow a five part series in the Village Voice, which exposed the practice based on digital recordings made inside the precinct by Officer Adrian Schoolcraft.
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Among those facing charges are Deputy Inspector Steven Mauriello, who was ousted from the 8-1 command in July. Mauriello, police sources say, is charged with tampering with theft and auto theft reports, and lying to investigators.
Two cops and two sergeants are facing similar charges. A third sergeant could be charged.
The charges serve to vindicate Schoolcraft who had tried to report the misconduct internally, and was then punished with a forced stay in a mental ward at Jamaica Hospital. After that, the NYPD took pains to attack his character. He has since filed a $50 million lawsuit against the city.