An officer in the middle of a legal battle against the NYPD got a promotion on Tuesday.

Officer Edwin Raymond is one of 12 officers bringing a class-action lawsuit against the police force, alleging the department has a quota system that unfairly targets minority communities, although the NYPD has repeatedly and strongly denied the allegations.

Raymond believes his promotion should have come last fall but acknowledges it's better late than never. He says he hopes to use his new position to reform the department from within.

"I get to lead the squad with my vision, the vision of policing of the principles of policing. What policing is supposed to entail," he says.

The lawsuit is still making its way through the legal process, as a judge will rule on the police department's motion to dismiss it.