Mayor Adams’ Promotion of Pat Smith Sabotages Oversight and Guarantees More Harm

Justice Committee blasts the last-minute appointment 

In response to Mayor Eric Adams appointment of Pat Smith as interim chair of the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), Justice Committee Deputy Director Yul-san Liem (she/her) issued the following statement:

“Mayor Adams’ decision to quietly elevate Pat Smith – a current CCRB board member who has persistently undermined accountability and weakened the board’s authority – is a greenlight for unchecked NYPD abuse. Smith has long positioned himself as an adversary of oversight. He has repeatedly discouraged New Yorkers from filing complaints, even when they’ve faced serious NYPD abuses, reinforcing a system that is structured to shield abusive officers and making the already biased process even more hostile to New Yorkers who have experienced police misconduct.

Even more alarming is Smith’s pattern of ignoring evidence, disregarding investigators’ findings, and tossing out CCRB cases at extraordinarily high rates. This includes voting not to substantiate charges against Officers Salvatore Alongi and Matthew Cianfrocco for killing Win Rozario, shortly after he attempted to block Win’s family’s supporters from giving public comment at a board meeting.

Putting Smith in charge of the over-burdened and under-resourced agency guarantees more harm to the communities most targeted by NYPD and even less accountability for the abuses they endure. New Yorkers deserve a leader of the CCRB who is committed to truth, transparency, and justice. Mayor-Elect Mamdani must replace Pat Smith as Interim CCRB Board Chair as soon as he takes office.”