First to introduce ourselves, we’re Organize. We’re a nonprofit organization with the mission to ensure that every person mistreated by the police can get the help they need to take action. We’re writing this blog as part of a series which can help ordinary people quickly access the information they need to get help and take action in their community.

File an official complaint with the department

Like most police departments, you can submit a misconduct complaint directly with the NYPD.

Submit online: To submit your complaint online, visit this link

Visit the civilian complaint review board’s office: 100 Church Street, 10th Fl., New York, NY 10007

Submit your complaint by phone: Call 1–800–341–2272

Some things to remember about filing an official complaint:

Keep everything documented -

Ensure that you are documenting as much of the incident you are complaining about as well as your complaint submission process. Keep track of all your evidence, keep copies of your complaint form, and try your best to keep photo/video evidence (make sure you’re being safe while doing so)

Your only audience is the police department -

The complaint you share will only be visible by members of the police department staff. Once you share your complaint, you will get limited information on what action, if any, was taken. It’s especially important to keep good records in case you want to share your story with someone else in the future.

Get in touch with a local professional

There are lots of people and organizations with specific expertise that can help you take action safely and successfully. We’ve included links to contact information for a few of them.

You can find information on of all of these organizations and others on our website. We’ll continue to add more organizations to our directory over time. If you think there’s one we should add, let us know!

Share your complaint publicly on our website

Our nonprofit website, Organize, allows you to share your stories of police misconduct and connect with our community of activists and professionals who can help you take action. Click here to access our online complaint form.

Some of the features our website offers:

Keep your personal information secure -

When you share on Organize you only need to share the details of your experience which you are comfortable sharing. Any personal information you share with us like your email address will never be shared with anyone else.

Connect with others about your experience -

Sharing on Organize allows others in your community including activists and professionals to help publicize, investigate, and defend your case.

Help others in your community who experience police misconduct -

When you share on Organize , you contribute stories to our nationwide database of police misconduct. Our database of stories will help us draw patterns in police misconduct and make it easier to hold officers accountable when they mistreat people in the future.