I. THE WAKE-UP CALL: If It's Happening in NYC...
On July 16, 2025, former NYPD Interim Commissioner Thomas Donlon filed a 251-page federal lawsuit calling America's largest, most-scrutinized police department 'criminal at its core.'
Not an activist. Not a protester. The commissioner himself.
If the NYPD (with 36,000 officers, a $6 billion budget, federal oversight and constant media attention) 'functions as a racketeering enterprise,' what's happening in [Small Town, USA] where there's one part-time reporter and the police chief plays poker with the mayor?
That's why you need to know names. Titles. Phone numbers. Email addresses. The chain of command.
Because corruption doesn't thrive in major cities, it thrives everywhere people don't know who's supposed to be watching the watchers.
II. WHY THIS MATTERS EVERYWHERE (Not Just NYC)
The Smaller the Town, the Higher the Stakes
Break down why this is MORE critical outside major cities:
- Less oversight: No CCRB equivalent in most places
- Tighter networks: Chief knows the prosecutor, who knows the mayor, who's cousins with the judge
- Fewer resources: One Legal Aid attorney covering three counties
- Less media attention: Local paper won't cover police misconduct if the department buys ads
- Retaliation is easier: Everyone knows your family, where you work, where your kids go to school
Real talk: The founder of Operation: ADULTing® grew up believing in the system as her father was law enforcement before becoming an attorney. She learned the hard way that knowing the system is different from trusting the system.
III. THE ACCOUNTABILITY LADDER: Your Universal Framework
🪜 RUNG 1: THE INCIDENT - Document EVERYTHING
Applies Everywhere:
DURING the incident:
- Mental timestamps - Note exact times, officer names/badge numbers, patrol car numbers, witness names
- Recording laws - Know your state:
- One-party consent states (38 states + DC): You can record without telling them
- Two-party consent states (CA, CT, FL, IL, MD, MA, MT, NV, NH, PA, WA): You must announce you're recording (but Supreme Court cases protect recording police in public)
- What to say:
- "I do not consent to any searches."
- "I am exercising my right to remain silent."
- "I want a lawyer."
- "I am recording this interaction for my safety." (even in two-party states—it's public)
IMMEDIATELY AFTER:
- Write down everything while memory is fresh
- Screenshot any texts/calls
- Photograph any injuries
- Get witness contact info
- Save everything to cloud storage (they can seize your phone, not your Google Drive)
🪜 RUNG 2: THE LOCAL DEPARTMENT - Know the Process
When you try to report misconduct or file a complaint:
What You Need to Know About YOUR Department:
Questions to research BEFORE you need them:
- Who is your police chief?
- Name, phone, email, mailing address
- How to file a formal complaint (many require written, some accept online)
- Does your state require a civilian complaint process?
- Some states mandate citizen review boards
- Others leave it entirely to internal affairs (police investigating police)
- What's your state's Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights?
- These laws often protect officers from investigation
- Know what they're allowed to delay or refuse
- Example: Maryland's LEOBR gives officers 10 days before they have to answer questions
- Body camera policies in YOUR state:
- 37 states require body cameras for some departments
- Policies vary wildly on when they must be activated
- Know how to request footage (timeframes vary: 48 hours to 90 days)
How to Find This Information:
Your Police Department's Website:
- Look for "File a Complaint" or "Internal Affairs"
- Find organizational chart (who reports to whom)
- Check for body camera policies
Your State Legislature Website:
- Search "[Your State] Police Accountability Laws"
- Look for recent reforms (many states passed laws 2020-2024)
ACLU State Affiliate:
- Go to ACLU.org → Find Your State
- They publish "Know Your Rights" guides specific to your state
- Often have complaint-filing templates
🪜 RUNG 3: MUNICIPAL/COUNTY OVERSIGHT - When the Department Ignores You
This is where young people get lost. Teach them who oversees the police:
Key People to Know in YOUR Jurisdiction:
1. MAYOR or COUNTY EXECUTIVE
- Police department usually reports to them
- They appoint the police chief/commissioner
- Find: City/County website → "Mayor's Office" → Contact info
- Document: Send certified letter outlining complaint, include:
- Timeline of events
- Names/badge numbers
- Copies of any reports filed (or documentation that department refused to take report)
- What you want them to do
2. CITY COUNCIL or COUNTY BOARD
- They control the police budget
- They can hold hearings, subpoena documents, pass oversight laws
- Find: City/County website → "Council Members" or "Board of Supervisors"
- Strategy: Attend public comment sessions (usually allow 2-3 minutes per speaker)
- Document: Record your statement, get the meeting minutes
3. CITY ATTORNEY or COUNTY COUNSEL
- Defends the municipality in lawsuits
- Sometimes investigates civil rights complaints
- Find: City/County website → "Legal Department"
- Note: They represent the CITY, not you, but formal complaints create a paper trail
🪜 RUNG 4: STATE-LEVEL ACCOUNTABILITY - Climbing Higher
When local officials fail, go state.
Key State Officials Who Oversee Police:
1. STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL
- Every state has one
- Many have "Civil Rights Divisions" or "Public Integrity Units"
- Can investigate patterns of misconduct, file charges against officers
- Find: [Your State] Attorney General → Civil Rights → File a Complaint
Example Contacts for Major States:
StateAG Civil Rights DivisionPhoneWebsiteNew YorkCivil Rights Bureau(212) 416-8250ag.ny.gov/civil-rightsCaliforniaCivil Rights Enforcement Section(916) 210-6276oag.ca.gov/civilTexasCivil Rights Division(512) 463-2191texasattorneygeneral.govFloridaCivil Rights Division(850) 414-3300myfloridalegal.comGeorgiaConsumer Protection Division(404) 651-8600consumer.ga.gov
(Note to readers: Look up YOUR state AG's civil rights office—they all have slightly different names)
2. STATE PEACE OFFICER STANDARDS & TRAINING (POST) BOARD
- Every state certifies police officers
- They can revoke licenses/certifications
- Names vary by state: "POST," "Peace Officer Standards," "Police Training Commission"
- Find: Search "[Your State] Peace Officer Standards" or "[Your State] POST Board"
Why this matters: Even if the department won't discipline an officer, POST can decertify them (they lose their badge permanently)
How to file: Most POST boards have online complaint forms
3. STATE INSPECTOR GENERAL (if your state has one)
- About 20 states have IGs who oversee government agencies
- Can investigate misconduct, corruption, waste
- Find: Search "[Your State] Inspector General"
4. STATE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
- All states have some version
- Handle discrimination complaints (race, gender, disability, etc.)
- Find: Search "[Your State] Human Rights Commission"
🪜 RUNG 5: FEDERAL OVERSIGHT - When State Systems Fail
The highest rung. This is where you go when every local/state avenue has been exhausted—or when you're in immediate danger.
Federal Agencies That Investigate Police:
1. FBI CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION
- Investigates "color of law" violations (police abusing their authority)
- Criminal charges under 18 U.S.C. §§ 241-242
- Find your local FBI field office: FBI.gov → Contact Us → Field Offices
- How to report: tips.fbi.gov or call your field office
2. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE - CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION
- Special Litigation Section investigates "patterns or practices" of misconduct
- Can force entire departments into consent decrees (federal oversight)
- Contact:
- Address: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, 950 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20530
- Phone: (202) 514-4609
- Online: civilrights.justice.gov → "File a Complaint"
3. U.S. ATTORNEY FOR YOUR DISTRICT
- Federal prosecutors in your region
- Can bring criminal charges against officers
- Find: Justice.gov → U.S. Attorneys → [Your State] → [Your District]
🪜 BONUS RUNG: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS - Your Secret Weapon
Every state has a version of FOIL/FOIA (Freedom of Information Act laws):
📋 THE MASTER REQUEST: What to Ask For and Why It Matters
Here's what Operation: ADULTing®'s founder requested—and what each item actually PROVES. Use this as your template.
🔍 CATEGORY 1: THE OFFICIAL STORY (What They Claim Happened)
Request Language:
1) Complete complaint reports, arrest reports and all supplements
2) Domestic incident reports and related investigative files
What This Actually Is:
- Complaint reports: The officer's written version of events
- Arrest reports: If you were arrested, (especially without a arrant) this is their justification for why
- Supplements: Additional reports filed later (sometimes officers add details after they realize they messed up)
- Domestic incident reports (DIR): If domestic violence was involved, this is a special form with more details
Why You Need It:
- Catches lies: Officers often write one thing in the report, but body camera shows something different
- Proves inconsistencies: If they filed a supplement days later that contradicts the original, that's evidence of cover-up
- Timeline matters: You can prove they added details AFTER you filed a complaint
What to Look For When You Get It:
- Do times match your memory and phone records?
- Did they describe your injuries accurately?
- Did they include witness names you gave them?
- Are there details that seem invented to justify their actions?
- Compare to body camera footage, does the written version match the video?
🚑 CATEGORY 2: MEDICAL PROOF (Your Injuries and Their Response)
Request Language:
3) Aided cards, EMS run sheets and other medical/triage documentation
What This Actually Is:
- Aided cards: NYPD-specific form when someone needs medical help (your state may call it something else)
- EMS run sheets: Ambulance/paramedic documentation of your injuries
- Triage documentation: Emergency room intake notes if you went to a hospital
Why You Need It:
- Proves excessive force: If you had injuries, this documents them in real-time (can't be disputed later)
- Proves denial of medical care: If you asked for help and they wrote "refused medical attention," but you have witnesses saying otherwise, this proves they lied
- Timeline of injury: Shows WHEN you were injured (during arrest vs. before)
What to Look For:
- Did EMS document injuries you told them about?
- Did officers delay calling EMS even though you were hurt?
- Does the "patient refusal" form have YOUR signature or did someone sign for you?
- Are there photos of your injuries in the medical records?
State Variations:
- Some states call this "Incident Medical Report"
- Fire departments sometimes handle EMS, so you may need to request from TWO agencies
- Pro tip: Request from BOTH police department AND your local fire/EMS department
📞 CATEGORY 3: THE ORIGINAL CALL (What You Actually Said)
Request Language:
4) Complete 911 Sprint (CAD) reports, incident logs, and 911 audio recordings (digital or CD format)
What This Actually Is:
- 911 audio: Actual recording of your call to 911
- CAD reports (Computer-Aided Dispatch): What the dispatcher typed while you were on the phone and what they radioed to officers
- Incident logs: Timeline of officer movements (when they were dispatched, when they arrived, when they left)
Why You Need It:
- Proves what you ACTUALLY reported: If you called for help and officers arrested YOU instead, the 911 call proves you were the victim
- Proves response time: Did they take 5 minutes or 2 hours? Delayed response for certain neighborhoods is evidence of discrimination
- Catches dispatcher errors: Sometimes dispatchers tell officers the wrong information, leading officers to treat you like a suspect
What to Look For:
- Did you clearly identify yourself as the victim/person in danger?
- How long did it take officers to arrive after dispatch?
- What did the dispatcher tell officers about you? (Sometimes they describe victims in ways that make officers suspicious)
- Compare CAD notes to what officers wrote in their report—do they match?
State Variations:
- Not all states use "CAD" language—some call it "dispatch logs" or "communications records"
- Your request should say: "All 911 call recordings, dispatch logs, CAD reports, or any computer system used to dispatch officers to this incident"
_____________________________________________________________________
What to Request (Works Everywhere):
- Incident reports (your case + the officer's version)
- 911 call recordings (proves what you actually said)
- Body camera footage (if they have cameras)
- Dispatch logs/CAD reports (Computer-Aided Dispatch - shows response times, what officers were told)
- Officer personnel files (prior complaints, disciplinary history)
- Note: Some states heavily redact these, but you can still request
- Department policies (use of force policy, body camera policy, etc.)
How to Find YOUR State's Public Records Law:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SECTION: When They Promise to Call Back... And Never Do
📞 THE SILENCE IS THE STRATEGY: How to Document Non-Response as Evidence
What Operation: ADULTing® Actually Experienced
Before publishing this guide, the founder of Operation: ADULTing® did exactly what we're teaching you to do: she tried the official channels first.
Here's what happened:
✅ What They Did Right (By the Book):
- Reached out to multiple NYPD officials and supervisors
- Contacted precinct community affairs offices (013 Precinct and 032 Precinct)
- Made professional outreach via LinkedIn to appropriate personnel
- Sent formal emails with clear requests for information
- Recorded community meetings where officials promised follow-up
- Gave reasonable time for responses
- Followed up multiple times in writing
❌ What the NYPD Actually Did:
- Legal department: HUNG UP when the founder called
- LinkedIn messages: IGNORED (read receipts showed they saw them)
- Emails to 013 Precinct: UNANSWERED (zero response)
- Emails to 032 Precinct: UNANSWERED (zero response)
- Recorded promises to "get back to the community": BROKEN
Why This Matters More Than You Think
This isn't incompetence. This is strategy.
When organizations—especially law enforcement—ignore legitimate inquiries, they're betting that:
- You'll give up
- You'll assume you did something wrong
- You won't document their non-response
- You won't escalate
- You'll forget about it
But here's what they don't want you to know:
🎯 Non-Response IS Evidence
In legal terms, systematic non-response to legitimate inquiries can prove:
- Bad Faith (they're not operating honestly)
- Deliberate Indifference (they don't care about citizen complaints which is key for Monell claims)
- Pattern and Practice (this is how they treat everyone, not just you)
- Obstruction (blocking access to information/justice)
- Ratification (supervisors know about misconduct and approve through inaction)
Federal Standard: Connick v. Thompson, 563 U.S. 51 (2011) - A municipality's "deliberate indifference" to citizens' rights can be proven by showing policymakers knew about problems and did nothing.
Translation: When the NYPD legal department hangs up on you, when precincts ignore emails, when officials break recorded promises—they're creating evidence of systemic failure.
📋 HOW TO DOCUMENT NON-RESPONSE (Make Their Silence Loud)
The "Paper Trail of Silence" Strategy
Every time they don't respond, you create MORE evidence. Here's how to document it properly:
STEP 1: Initial Contact Documentation
For Every Contact Attempt, Record:
Email Attempts:
- Screenshot showing email sent (with timestamp)
- Screenshot showing it was delivered (not bounced back)
- If using Gmail/Outlook: Screenshot showing "read receipt" or "opened" status
- PDF copy of the actual email (File → Download → PDF)
- Save the email thread to cloud storage
Example File Name: 2025-11-22_Email_NYPD-032Precinct_CommunityAffairs_NoResponse.pdf
Phone Call Attempts:
- Record the call (legal in New York - one-party consent state)
- Note exact date and time of call
- Name/title of person who answered (or "refused to identify")
- Exact quote of what they said ("I'll have someone call you back")
- Save recording with transcript
Example File Name: 2025-11-22_Call_NYPD-Legal-Dept_HungUp_Audio.m4a
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