Mayor Adams Names Board Member Arva Rice As Interim Chair Of The CCRB

The Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) today announced that Arva Rice has been named interim chair of the Board. Chair Rice will preside over the CCRB’s February Board meeting this Wednesday at 4:00 pm and deliver her first remarks and vision as interim chair.

“Arva Rice has been a champion for equity and justice throughout her career, and we know she will continue her long career of successful advocacy as CCRB Interim Chair,” said Mayor Adams. “Civilian oversight is critical to achieving the safety we need and the justice we deserve, and I know Interim Chair Rice will be an important partner in delivering both for all New Yorkers.”

“After decades working to make New York City a fairer, more equitable, and safer city, I am honored to use my expertise to lead the CCRB into its next chapter,” said CCRB Interim Chair Arva Rice. “It is a privilege to have an even greater opportunity to serve this city and continue efforts to make it a safer and more just place for all New Yorkers. Former CCRB Chair, Fred Davie, and the rest of the board have made great strides in the last several years and I hope to build on this momentum and continue to push the Agency forward.”

Arva Rice

Arva Rice serves as interim chair of the CCRB. She joined the CCRB Board in 2021. As president & CEO of Harlem’s New York Urban League, Chair Rice leads the mission to enable underserved communities to secure a first-class education, economic self-reliance, and equal respect of their civil rights through programs, services and advocacy.

Prior to joining the League, she served as the executive director of Project Enterprise, an organization that provides business loans, technical assistance, and peer support to New York City entrepreneurs who lack adequate access to business financing.

Aside from her decades serving and uplifting New Yorkers, she also has extensive experience in collaboration building, strategic planning, fundraising and marketing.

Before joining the CCRB, Chair Rice was a key leader in drafting the Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative Plan, a department-wide reform initiative passed by the City Council in March of last year.

Chair Rice served under the last administration as a commissioner for the NYC Equal Employment Practices Commission and the Commission for Gender Equity. She is also a member of the Women’s Forum and Greater New York Chapter of The Links Incorporated.

To attend Wednesday’s virtual board meeting, please register here.

The New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) is the largest police oversight entity in the nation and is empowered to investigate, mediate, prosecute, and recommend disciplinary action for complaints alleging misconduct by NYPD officers. See NYC Charter § 440(c)(1).

The agency’s jurisdiction includes excessive and unnecessary force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, and use of offensive language.

To further this mission, CCRB issues monthly, biannual, and special statistical and qualitative reports analyzing trends and recurring issues arising from the many thousands of civilian complaints it receives each year.