NEW YORK — A New York City council member has proposed a new bill that would allow the NYPD’s civilian watchdog group direct access to officers’ body camera videos, the New York Post reported.
The bill, proposed by Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, was introduced with the stated goal of quickening the Civilian Complaint Review Board’s investigations into alleged police misconduct claims. It would give the CCRB “direct access to all footage recorded by officer body-worn cameras,” providing the board with “real time connectivity to network servers hosting digital files of body-worn camera footage,” according to the report.
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NYPD officials noted that the proposal would face significant obstacles, as similar laws don’t exist anywhere in the country.
“Not measured in days, weeks and months, but years,” NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters Michael Gerber said. “Anything about this is speculative.”
The proposal comes after an NYC Comptroller’s report that found that NYPD oversight and monitoring of body camera footage was “lacking,” according to the report. The report found that the average NYPD response to state Freedom of Information Law requests for footage took 133 days. The FOIL law requires that the agency answer within 25 days.
The NYC PBA has denounced the proposal, stating that the bill and similar legislation are one reason that NYPD officers are “quitting in droves.”
“Who wants to work in a system where people who don’t value or understand your work are given direct, real-time access to second-guess your every move?” NYC PBA President Patrick Hendry stated on X. ” City Council members need to understand that every time they support a bill like this, they’re making their constituents less safe because more cops will head out the door.”
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