Q&A
NYPD's approach to cases where victims are hesitant or unwilling to file complaints
2:25:12
·
140 sec
NYPD representatives explain their approach to cases where victims are hesitant or unwilling to file complaints, particularly in elder fraud cases.
- The concept of 'evidence-based prosecution' is discussed, which allows cases to proceed even without victim cooperation
- This approach is particularly useful in cases involving domestic violence or undocumented immigrants who may fear repercussions
- NYPD can build 'pristine cases' by meticulously tracking a criminal's actions from start to finish, even without victim testimony
- The use of forensics, clothing matches, and other evidence can support prosecution in these cases
Josh Levin
2:25:12
So that is a very That that question alone could take a little bit of time to answer, but I'll just give you a general idea.
2:25:19
I think it there's something called an evidence based prosecution, which is where even if you have a victim or a complainant who's unwilling to cooperate with the prosecutor, you can still go forward with that prosecution.
2:25:30
Well, how do you do that without a witness?
2:25:32
Well, we have decided in in public policy that you could might be a DV victim.
2:25:38
You might not be a naturalized citizen.
2:25:39
Your your husband may be threatening you if you come forward and you cooperate.
2:25:42
I'm gonna pull financial funding or or I'm gonna report you to some type of immigration person.
2:25:48
And so we have a mechanism by which we can prosecute some cases even and, again, I used to be a DEA, but I'm not now.
2:25:55
I'm with PD.
2:25:56
Right?
2:25:56
I'm
Spiro Papavlasopoulos
2:25:56
just being dead.
Yusef Salaam
2:25:57
I'm just
Crystal Hudson
2:25:57
It's helpful context to have.
Josh Levin
2:25:59
Yeah.
2:26:00
Go ahead.
Jason Savino
2:26:01
Yeah.
2:26:01
No.
2:26:02
Essentially, if you can prove and and it's very challenging to do, but and we and we do it with complex cases.
2:26:09
But if you can prove where a criminal leaves their house, ultimately track that individual straight through to committing the crime, and then ultimately returning back to a residence or what have you straight through and fill in every gap in between, we can ultimately prosecute that case even despite a victim's uncooperativeness.
2:26:30
And that is what we I like to call a pristine case.
2:26:34
So even with the lack of a victim
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
2:26:37
pristine.
Jason Savino
2:26:39
With all that evidence.
2:26:40
And obviously, we can overlap it with forensics.
2:26:43
We could overlap it with different overlays, clothing matches, every bit of evidence that we can.
2:26:50
But that is what we call what I like to call a pristine case, but that evidence based prosecution, we have successfully put forward numerous times as successfully prosecuted, even lack of cooperation of a victim.
Crystal Hudson
2:27:02
Okay.
2:27:02
And then if if you have a victim who does come forward, maybe they just don't want to follow through with the case or something like that, but they do come forward or somehow you become aware of their case.
2:27:15
Can you just talk a little bit about that referral system?
2:27:17
Are you referring them back to NYC aging?
2:27:20
Are you referring them to, you know, therapy, psychological support, a physician if you think that there might be some cognitive impairment?
2:27:29
Like, how are you actually handling that person?
