Arva Rice, the interim chairwoman of the Civilian Complaint Review Board, has been asked to step down by Mayor Eric Adams. This request comes after Rice faced backlash from police officials for criticizing the Police Department’s handling of evidence in the fatal shooting of Kawasaki Trawick and for requesting a larger budget and more investigative power. Rice, who also serves as president and chief executive of the New York Urban League, is expected to comply with the request in the coming weeks.
Rice has been vocal about the delays in receiving evidence in the Trawick case, where officers shot and killed him in his Bronx apartment in 2019. She criticized the police for waiting 18 months to turn over body camera footage, which caused the review board’s investigation to exceed its own statute of limitations. Despite the board’s findings of improper actions by the officers, the Bronx district attorney declined to file charges and the Police Commissioner ruled that the officers had acted properly and would not be punished.
In addition to her criticisms of the handling of the Trawick case, Rice has also called for more funding for the Civilian Complaint Review Board. During budget testimony before the City Council, she requested $13 million more than the previous year and $15 million above what the administration proposed. Rice was also advocating for changes to a state law that restricted the board’s access to body camera footage and other police records in certain cases that had been sealed.
Maya Wiley, a former mayoral candidate and former chairwoman of the C.C.R.B., expressed concern over Rice’s removal, stating that it appears she is not aligning with the goal of protecting the Police Department. Rice declined to comment on the situation, and a spokeswoman for Mayor Adams declined to discuss the resignation request or potential replacements for Rice. Adams has faced criticism for the forced departure of at least three high-ranking Black women from his administration in recent months, including Rice, Keechant Sewell, and Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix.
The City Council has voiced strong opposition to approving Randy Mastro, who Mayor Adams has proposed as the replacement for Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix. Mastro served as chief of staff and deputy mayor to former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and his client roster has raised concerns among council members. The New York Civil Liberties Union’s legal director, Christopher Dunn, noted that Rice’s open criticism of the department’s handling of the Trawick case is unusual for a C.C.R.B chair, especially as an interim chair. Mayor Adams, who was elected with a background as a former police officer advocating against brutality, is facing scrutiny over his administration’s handling of police oversight.
