Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

2-2025

Document Type

Capstone Project

Degree Name

M.S.

Program

Data Analysis & Visualization

Advisor

Michelle McSweeney

Subject Categories

Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Keywords

Civilian Complaint Review Board, CCRB, New York City, Mayoral Politics

Abstract

This project examines the relationship between mayoral administration and police oversight in New York City through an analysis of Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) data from 2002 to 2024. Using interactive data visualizations, historical context, and annotations that delineate the trends within the data, the project illuminates how mayoral administrations have influenced the handling and outcomes of civilian complaints against police officers. This influence can be seen in policing policy as well as appointments to the board itself. The goal is to educate voters about the CCRB and the direct impact their choice for mayor has on police accountability through the CCRB's operations and effectiveness, as well as to understand the non-electoral means by which they can influence this system as well. The project website (URL: https://thomagin.github.io/Fagin_CCRB/) provides an interactive platform for exploring CCRB data through various visualizations. The analysis code is available on GitHub (URL: https://github.com/thomagin/Fagin_CCRB).

The project combines Python-based statistical analysis with D3.js visualizations to create an accessible educational resource about police oversight in New York City. Through analysis of over 400,000 civilian complaints spanning three mayoral administrations, this project reveals patterns in how different administrations have approached police accountability and aims to inform voters about the relationship between mayors and civilian police oversight.

Additional Files
Fagin_CCRB-main.zip (18258 kB)
Code and data file export from GitHub repository
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