Int. No. 938
By The Speaker (Council Member Adams), the Public Advocate (Mr. Williams), and Council Members Rivera, Louis, Cabán, Richardson Jordan, Abreu, Hanif, Farías, De La Rosa, Brewer, Restler, Hudson, Ossé, Williams, Bottcher, Won, Joseph, Gutiérrez, Stevens and Sanchez
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the New York city police department to provide the civilian complaint review board with direct access to officer body-warn camera footage and to establish related procedures
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Title 14 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 14-193 to read as follows:
§ 14-193 Body-worn camera footage. a. For the purpose of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
Body-worn camera. The term “body-worn camera” means a video recording device that can be attached or affixed to a person’s body, apparel or clothing.
Direct access. The term “direct access” means real time connectivity to the network servers hosting digital material which is provided to remote users for the purpose of accessing such information.
Remote user. The term “remote user” means designated employees of the civilian complaint review board.
b. Within 60 days after the effective date of the local law that added this section, the department shall provide the civilian complaint review board with direct access to all footage recorded by officer body-worn cameras. Such access shall be comparable to that granted to the department’s internal affairs bureau, and provide user interface that, at a minimum permits: (i) remote users access to footage, including all visual and audio recordings captured by body-worn cameras utilized by department personnel; (ii) remote users to conduct searches for specific footage, using, at a minimum, searches based on keywords, dates, locations, or officer involved; and (iii) the civilian complaint review board to store and present body-worn camera footage in a manner necessary to facilitate the investigation and adjudication of allegations of misconduct, and any other legitimate purposes within the charter granted authority of the civilian complaint review board.
c. Direct access to such footage shall not be limited by the department unless such limitation is otherwise required by law. All body-worn camera footage maintained by the department must comply with relevant laws pertaining to segregation of sealed materials.
§ 2. This local law takes effect in 90 days.
LS #2441/4874/4902/4915
JDK
2/17/23