Hurricane Sandy prevented total number of complaints filed against NYPD cops from rising last year

Hurricane Sandy prevented the total number of complaints filed against NYPD cops with the Civilian Complaint Review Board last year from rising for the first time since 2009, The Post has learned.

The total number of CCRB complaints in 2012 dipped just two percent over the previous year’s totals, the fourth time in five years that the total number of complaints against the city’s cops has fallen.

The two percent drop -- the smallest since numbers generally started heading downwards in 2007 -- translated into a scant 144 fewer cases in 2012 compared to 2011, from 5,964 complaints in 2011 compared to 5,820 last year.

But CCRB numbers were trending upwards in the second half of 2012, with increases posted in July, August, September and October .

Following the ravages of Sandy, the agency was ousted from its Lower Manhattan offices and forced to adopt a new phone number -- one that didn't hook up with the city's 311 information line -- after the storm.

Such factors meant that the CCRB took fewer complaints in November and December and all but guarantee that had Sandy not occurred, the complaint tally would have surely tipped upwards in 2012 for the first time since a slight increase was registered in 2009.

Overall, CCRB complaints have fallen 21 percent between 2007 (when they reached a record-high of 7,549) and 2011.

A spokeswoman for the CCRB declined to comment, as the agency is expected to provide further details about its year-end figures for 2012 at a monthly meeting scheduled for later this morning at CCRB’s new temporary headquarters at 209 Joralemon Street, in Brooklyn.

The CCRB allows members of the public to file complaints against cops that can include up to four separate allegations – those involving improper use of force; abuse of authority; discourtesy or offensive language – that might stem from a single confrontation.

The complaints are then investigated for further action by civilian investigators in a bid to see if they can be substantiated or deemed unfounded or, in some cases, cops are considered "exonerated.".

A breakdown of the categories of complaints from last year compared to 2011 shows that while the total number fell by two percent, the seriousness of the allegations increased by a slight margin.

For instance, the total number of complaints alleging discourtesy and offensive language fell by 243 and 18, respectively, between last year and 2011.

However, the allegations of force or abuse of authority -- more serious categories of police misconduct -- rose by 21 and 248, respectively.

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4 smartphones with standout features

These days, smartphones are almost all drawing from the same bag of tricks, and it can be hard to tell one from the next. If the average smartphone will do all the basic things you want it to, what does it take to be special? Here are four smartphones with unusual features that really make them stand out.

Nokia Lumia 920

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)

The good: This phone forges new Windows Phone ground with wireless-charging support and a highly sensitive screen you can use with gloves. Moreover, Nokia helps fill in Windows Phone OS gaps with a few missing features.

The bad: A thick, heavy build and slippery finish for some colors make the Lumia 920 harder to hold and carry, and the phone’s overhyped camera doesn’t have enough settings.

The cost: $99.99

The bottom line: Nokia’s Lumia 920 is heavy and thick, but if you want the most powerful, feature-rich Windows Phone smartphone available, this is it.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)

The good: Oodles of screen real estate make this terrific for videos, games, and reading, and its improved stylus aids productivity. A blazing quad-core processor, a great camera and strong battery life round out the advantages of this Android 4.1 phone.

The bad: The huge display makes it unwieldy to carry, and hiccups in the S Pen stylus and apps can slow you down. The pricey Note 2 isn’t a suitable tablet replacement across all categories.

The cost: $149.99 to $309.99

The bottom line: Samsung delivers a powerful, boundary-pushing device that gets a lot right. Yet its complicated features and high price raise questions about its purpose.

Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)

The good: This Droid (Verizon) offers fast performance, a big, eye-popping screen and luxurious design. It also has great call quality, lots of storage, 4G data speeds, and unbeatable battery life.

The bad: The major weakness is a camera that produces subpar images. The phone is filled with Verizon bloatware as well.

The cost: $149.99 to $299.99

The bottom line: Motorola’s fast, stylish Droid Razr Maxx HD offers outstanding battery life, but its camera captures unimpressive images.

Samsung Galaxy Beam

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)

The good: An integrated pico projector, as well as a dual-core processor, 720p video capture and a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen.

The bad: The projection software needs some work, the 5-megapixel camera sometimes blurs indoor shots, and the Beam is thicker and heavier than many phones.

The cost: $474.49 to $839.99

The bottom line: Despite weak software, the Galaxy Beam’s bright projector pushes boundaries, and strong smartphone features make it a worthy standalone device.

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Police shoot, kill woman accused of holding knife to her boyfriend

A woman who was holding her boyfriend at knife point as their 3-year-old boy was in their home was shot to death by deputies in Lake Worth Tuesday morning.

Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies were called to the home in a duplex about 2:45 a.m. by the boyfriend who was frantic, saying she was going to kill him, sheriff’s spokeswoman Teri Barbera said.

“When we arrived she had him by the shirt with a knife in hand. We told her to put the knife down repeatedly. When she turned to stab him, we shot her. In an effort to save his life, we shot,” Barbera said.

Though deputies then ran to her assistance and called paramedics, the woman, who is 24, died from her injuries.

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Tuesday morning, “If the deputies had not taken the action they did she would have knifed him on the spot.”

Bradshaw said the 911 calls reveal the couple were in a “violent confrontation” and that the boyfriend was trying to get the child away from the boy’s mother. When deputies arrived, the woman let go of the child and came through the front door with her boyfriend, holding him by the shirt with one hand and a knife in the other.

“The deputies actions actually saved his life and probably, further down the road, the child’s life,” Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw said deputies had been called before to the duplex and that the couple has had previous problems. He did not release their names, but said the woman was 24-years-old and her boyfriend is about the same age. Bradshaw also said there are possible child abuse charges pending against the woman.

The boy will likely be placed with relatives, Bradshaw said.

This is the second shooting death of 2013 in Palm Beach County. A bartender at a Boca Raton restaurant was shot and killed in a robbery Friday, Jan. 4.

Rafael Rodriguez was bartending when the restaurant was robbed by several men. The robbers took personal items, including wallets, jewelry and cellphones from the victims. As the robbers were leaving, Rodriguez exchanged words with one of them. The robber fired at Rodriguez, striking him once. Rodriguez, 46, died at a local hospital after being shot once.

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James Franco and Ashley Benson Parody Justin Bieber Selena Gomez

James Franco and rumored girlfriend Ashley Benson had some fun recently -- though it's at the expense of their Spring Breakers co-star Selena Gomez and her on-again/off-again boyfriend Justin Bieber.

In this video that originally appeared on Franco's WhoSay but he has since deleted, the 34-year-old mocks Justin's signature style -- down to the sideways hat, his [formerly] floppy hair and a baggy hoodie -- while parodying his mega-hit Boyfriend. For her part, Benson, 23, plays a sexy Selena, donning a long brunette wig and showing off some spectacularly racy dance moves.

Pic: James Franco Gets Handsy with Ashley Benson

Though this dig seems a little personal -- Benson reportedly dumped Bieber's pal Ryan Good for Franco after the two met on the set of Spring Breakers.

Video: Will 'Spring Breakers' Spark Controversy?

Although Franco denied dating Benson in a blog post on The Huffington Post in October, writing, "As for Gomez and Benson, those are Bieber's girls and I wouldn't dare tangle with the Biebs. I heard he wants to kick my a**. Yikes!," Benson recently posted a pic of the multi-talented star playfully groping her on New Year's Eve which she quickly deleted, sparking more rumors that the two are more than friends.

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Campaign finance reform crusader Cuomo fund raises at Waldorf Astoria

Whoopi Goldberg whooped it up with some racially tinged humor at Gov. Cuomo’s fund-raising bash at the Waldorf Astoria last night.

“I just have to tell you. There are no black people (living) upstate,” emcee Goldberg said, eliciting some nervous laughter from the well-heeled crowd of real estate titans, lobbyists, PR mavens and labor leaders at the $1,500-a-plate dinner.

She also said all the black people came down to the city looking for jobs.

Cuomo, who is looking to overhaul the campaign finance laws, easily took in over a million dollars from wealthy contributors.

Elder Ordonez/INFphoto.com

Whoopi Goldberg was the star of Gov. Cuomo's fund-raiser at the Waldorf Astoria last night.

The bevy of attendees included real estate developers John Zuccotti and Bill Rudin, New York City Partnership CEO Kathryn Wyle, PR honchos Howard Rubinstein, Ken Sunshine and George Arzt as well as veteran Albany lobbyists.

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Norwegian Cruise Line to go public

In a long expected move, Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line Tuesday announced plans to take the company public.

The company has registered an initial public offering of 23,529,412 ordinary shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The shares will be traded on the NASDAQ; no price has set been set.

The third largest ocean-going cruise line, Norwegian Cruise Line has 11 ships with itineraries in North America (including Alaska and Hawaii), the Caribbean, Bermuda, the Mediterranean and the Baltic. Genting Hong Kong - a subsidiary of Genting Group, a gambling and resort conglomerate that purchased the land currently occupied by The Miami Herald in 2010 for $236 million - owns 50 percent of the cruise line in a partnership with private equity firms Apollo Management and TPG.

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BCS ticket prices falling (but so is the number of available seats)

Procrastination pays.

For those fans who waited until the last minute to buy tickets to Monday night’s national championship football game in South Florida, now’s the time to buy.

Ticket prices have fallen by about half since Dec. 1, when the University of Alabama clinched its spot in the title game. The average price is about $1,500 as of Monday morning, with the cheapest seats costing $865, according to the ticket-tracking services SeatGeek and TiqIQ.

But there are only about 2,200 to 3,000 tickets available from third-party brokers right now. So though the price could fall more, this is probably the best time to buy.

“We always see this: Prices are highest on the day of an announcement for the latest concert or a national title game,” said Will Flaherty, SeatGeek’s communications director for the ticket-tracking firm.

“Fans think: ‘Oh no, I need to act quickly and get the best price for my tickets.’ But that’s often one of the worst times to buy,” he said. “Ticket prices tend to fall when you get closer to game time.”’

Assuming a buyer times his purchase properly, Flaherty said tickets could go for as low as $700 (a little more than double the face value of the cheapest wholesale tickets). He said that the average overall ticket price for this event is about $1,700 — the most-expensive event since the 2007 Super Bowl in Miami.

“I’d recommend buying from online retailers who have some sort of guarantee that you will receive legit tickets and not fakes (safest way),” Chris Matcovich, TiqIQ’s data and communications director, said in an email.

“There maybe good deals on Craigslist and amongst scalpers outside the stadium, but doing that you run the risk of losing hundreds of dollars if the ticket is a fake,” he wrote. “If people do decide to buy from people outside the stadium, one way to protect yourself from buying fakes is by asking the seller to walk to the gate with you to make sure you get in.”

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Heidi Klum Marriage, Divorce and Sex Talk

It's been nearly a year since Heidi Klum split from Seal, and since then, she's taken a different view of marriage. "I wanted to keep the memory of our wedding alive every year, that’s why I thought it would be fun to get married over and over," the supermodel said of her famous vow renewal ceremonies with ex-husband Seal. "But now I don’t think it’s that important."

Never say never though. "Maybe if I’m with someone for 15 or 20 years, and we do [get married] in our old age as a fun thing to do," Klum, 39, tells Marie Claire magazine. "But I don’t have the urgency anymore."

RELATED: Heidi Klum's Style Evolution

As for how she's dealing with her split, the model mom seems to be keeping positive. "People say, ‘Oh, God, how devastating to go through a divorce.' Did I wish for this to happen to my family? No. But everyone is healthy; we’re moving on with our lives. If someone got [very sick], God forbid, that would be a real problem. It’s not what I wanted – it’s not what anyone wanted – but it’s not a real problem."

RELATED: Klum In Love With Boyfriend

Klum has since moved on to dating her body guard, Martin Kristen, and shares a few tips on how she keeps her sex life interesting. "Some people are more experimental in bed and others are more boring. If you are wild and crazy, bring it on so the other person is well aware that you have little devil horns that come out every once in a while," she advises. "It’s good to make an effort to dress up sometimes, to do things outside of the norm."

The latest issue of Marie Claire magazine hits newsstands Tuesday, January 15th, while Klum returns as the host of Project Runway on Jan. 24th.

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Klum tells mag she likes to get kinky in bed

Heidi Klum is all about making it work -- in bed.

The gorgeous “Project Runway” host even admitted she enjoys getting freaky in bed, getting “experimental” and wearing costumes during her hot love making.

"It's good to make an effort to dress up sometimes – to do things outside of the norm," she told Marie Claire magazine.

"Some people are more experimental in bed and others are more boring. If you are wild and crazy, bring it on so the other person is well aware that you have little devil horns that come out every once in a while."

The iconic fashion figure was married to recording artist Seal for seven years before the broke up in April.

Getty Images

Heidi Klum

She’s now hooked up with bodyguard Martin Kirsten.

The 39-year-old called her divorce "devastating” but necessary.

"Did I wish for this to happen to my family? No," she said.

"But everyone is healthy. We're moving on with our lives. If someone got [very sick] – God forbid – that would be a real problem. It's not what I wanted. It's not what anyone wanted. But it's not a real problem."

Klum isn’t bitter about the institution of marriage, but doubts she’ll ever walk down the aisle again.

“I don't think [I'll get married again], no, no," she said.

"I'm not angry about anything, but I don’t think I will. Maybe if I'm with someone for 15 or 20 years, and we do it in our old age as a fun thing to do.”

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Billionaire Phillip Frost an ‘entrepreneur’s entrepreneur’

For that blind first date, a half-century ago, the young doctor, Phillip Frost, showed up at Patricia Orr’s family house in suburban New York, with an unusual gift: a miniature mushroom garden.

In the 50 years since, Frost, the son of a shoe store owner, has gone on to amass a fortune of $2.4 billion, according to Forbes magazine, becoming the 188th wealthiest man in the United States by developing and selling pharmaceutical companies. Along the way, he and Patricia have become major philanthropists in Miami-Dade County and they’ve signed a pledge to give away at least $1 billion more.

“He’s a relentless guy,” says Miami banker Bill Allen, who’s know him for more than 40 years. “He’s not afraid to take risks. ... He knows the intimate details of the chemistry of products, and he’s the kind of guy who can examine 50 deals while eating a sandwich.”

CNBC’s Jim Cramer recently praised Frost’s “incredible track record” for developing companies, calling Frost’s latest endeavor, OPKO Health, a “very risky” investment while noting it could offer huge gains under Obamacare.

But back in 1962, Patricia’s first impression was that Phil Frost was a bit of a nerd, finishing his medical internship with a strong interest in research — including mushrooms. She figured an academic career loomed.

“My mother was very impressed,” recalls Patricia, not so much by the M.D. behind Frost’s name but by the gift, something more serious than the usual flowers or candy. Serious was fine with Patricia, who was living at home while working toward a master’s degree in education at Columbia University. For their first date, they listened to a classical music concert.

Frost’s rise to riches may seem highly distinctive, but in an odd coincidence he has much in common with another prominent Miamian. Frost, 76, and car dealer Norman Braman, 80, both frequently appear on the Forbes list of wealthiest Americans. Both grew up in Philadelphia — Frost the son of a man who sold shoes, Braman son of a barber. Both are Jewish, well-known art collectors and philanthropists.

“He’s an entrepreneur’s entrepreneur,” says Braman. “We have a lot in common, coming from very poor families. But he went to Central High (a public school for exceptional students) and I was not qualified to go there.”

There are other differences. While Braman is voluble and highly visible in the causes he supports, Frost tends to be a reticent, almost shy speaker, given to careful pauses.

‘Lucky chances’

Told that a former colleague had called Frost “lucky,” Frost thought for a long moment. He could have cited many national business stories about his business acumen. Instead, he responded crisply: “I’ll be satisfied with lucky. I benefited from chance meetings.”

Frost spent his first years living above the shoe shop within an Italian market in South Philly. His two brothers were 15 and 16 years older. “I was an afterthought.”

The family was religiously observant, and Frost recalls his father singing him songs in Yiddish when he was small. He lived at home while attending the University of Pennsylvania, except for a year abroad in France. He took many science courses, but his major was French literature.

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