Special Reporting

State law requires every police department and county sheriff's office to report any occurrence in which a police officer or peace officer employs the use of force under the following circumstances:

• When an officer engages in conduct which results in the death or serious bodily injury of another person. Serious bodily injury is defined as bodily injury that involves a substantial risk of death, unconsciousness, protracted and obvious disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty.
• In the absence of either death or serious bodily injury, when one of the following is initiated by an officer:
  • brandishes, uses or discharges a firearm at or in the direction of another person;
  • uses a chokehold or similar restraint that applies pressure to the throat or windpipe of a person in a manner that may hinder breathing or reduce intake of air;
  • displays, uses or deploys a chemical agent, including, but not limited to, oleoresin capsicum, pepper spray or tear gas;
  • brandishes, uses or deploys an impact weapon, including, but not limited to, a baton or billy; or
  • brandishes, uses or deploys an electronic control weapon, including, but not limited to, an electronic stun gun, flash bomb, or long range acoustic device.

Please Note:The Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is not authorized to provide legal advice; however, it may provide general information. DCJS is responsible for collecting, maintaining and reporting use of force information. DCJS does not make any officer or officer employer discretion determinations regarding this data, as such decisions are reserved for the officer or the officer’s employer. Accordingly, you may wish to contact your county attorney, or other legal counsel, for any specific or legal questions that you may have.

Local law enforcement agencies and district attorneys are required to report information related to the number of Sexual Offense Evidence Kits (SOEK) in their possession to DCJS on a quarterly basis. The executive law requires police and prosecutorial agencies to submit SOEKs in its custody or control to an appropriate forensic laboratory within ten days of receipt. Forensic laboratories receiving these kits shall report the results to the submitting agency and appropriate prosecutorial entity within ninety days after receipt of a kit.

DCJS and the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence have developed a revised Domestic Incident Report (DIR) to collect more data to aid prosecution and assist with victim safety.

Training

DCJS has developed an online training designed to provide officers with a comprehensive overview of how to complete the DIR. The training is available via the eJusticeNY Integrated Justice Portal (IJPortal).

After logging on to the IJ Portal, click the following: Resources > Law Enforcement Training > Reference Library

Ordering DIR Forms

Requests for additional DIRs must be e-mailed to [email protected]

When ordering forms, please provide the agency name and street address for shipment. DIRs will not be sent to a P.O. Box.