Report: NYPD didn’t properly investigate sexual assault cases

The New York Police Department ignored severe understaffing in its Special Victims Division for years and told detectives not to investigate every potential crime, according to a report released Tuesday.

The results from a year-long investigation by the Department of Investigation, a city watchdog agency, found the Special Victims Division is chronically understaffed, and despite pleas and warnings from the division, the department’s leadership didn’t act.

The report found that the department prioritized high-profile cases and rapes, while sexual assaults were not properly examined.