NYPD designates special team to investigate 'almost daily' sexual misconduct allegations
The NYPD has designated a team to deal with
— -- Since sexual misconduct allegations involving famous men are “coming up almost daily,” New York City police have designated a team to deal with them.
The team is within the Special Victims Unit and has been tasked with handling high-profile cases as they are reported in the media.
“Every case that comes up we take a look at,” Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said Friday.
He cautioned that does not mean every instance is considered a full-blown investigation or will even develop beyond an initial review but he also stressed every credible report is being reviewed.
“We have to look and see if it’s in the statute, see when these crimes occurred, talk to our complainants and the prosecutors’ offices around the city where they may have happened and see if we can go forward,” Boyce said.
That is where the allegations against Russell Simmons stand.
“You know that we are looking into it. That doesn’t mean that we opened an investigation. We see if there is an investigation that’s possible,” Boyce said.
Boyce said detectives have sought out Simmons’ accusers to ask questions and see if there’s a case to be made.
“What came up in the last couple days, we take a look and we talk about it and we will go forward that way.”
Some of the allegations against Simmons involve alleged encounters in New York.
“The matter is certainly under review,” Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance said, declining to elaborate.
Officials in both the DA’s office and the NYPD have cautioned that unless they find evidence of actual rape most other sexual misconduct crimes might be too old to prosecute.