Int. No. 858
By Council Members Ariola and Louis
A Local Law in relation to establishing a pilot program to trial the use of body-worn cameras by outreach workers engaging with unsheltered individuals
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. a. Definitions. For the purposes 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.
Commissioner. The term “commissioner” means the commissioner of social services.
Identifying Information. The term “identifying information” has the meaning set forth in section 23-1201 of the administrative code of the city of New York.
Outreach contact. The term “outreach contact” means a person-to-person interaction between an outreach worker and an unsheltered individual that is initiated by the outreach worker for the purpose of providing the unsheltered individual with or encouraging such individual to accept assistance.
Outreach placements. The term “outreach placements” means outreach contacts made that result in an unsheltered individual being placed into temporary and permanent housing or medical treatment facility.
Outreach placement rate. The term “outreach placement rate” means the total number of outreach placements divided by the total number of outreach contacts conducted.
Outreach worker. The term “outreach worker” means a department of social services or department of homeless services employee whose duties include conducting outreach to unsheltered individuals, or a service provider contracted by either department to conduct outreach to unsheltered individuals.
Unsheltered individual. The term “unsheltered individual” means an individual with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
b. Body-worn camera pilot program for outreach workers. The commissioner shall establish a pilot program to trial the use of body-worn cameras by certain outreach workers during the course of their duties conducting outreach to unsheltered individuals. The duration of such pilot program shall be 1 year.
c. Notice of recording. Any outreach worker participating in the pilot program shall, at the earliest possible opportunity, inform any unsheltered individual subject to recording that the interaction is being recorded.
d. Footage review. The commissioner shall review no less than 33 percent of the total minutes of footage captured by body-worn cameras worn as part of the pilot program. In conducting such review, the commissioner shall evaluate the quality of outreach contacts made.
e. Report. No later than 1 year after completion of the pilot program, the commissioner shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council a report on the pilot program, which shall include, but need not be limited to:
1. The cost, benefits, and challenges of implementing such program;
2. The number of outreach contacts made by outreach workers participating in such pilot program, disaggregated by community district, day, time of day, and outcome;
3. An analysis of the impact of such program on outreach placement rates, including outreach placement rate data from outreach workers that participated in the program as compared to outreach workers who did not participate in the program;
4. Results of the review of body-worn camera footage pursuant to subdivision d of this section, including an assessment of the need for increased or modified training for outreach workers; and
5. Recommendations by the commissioner regarding such program, including, but not limited to whether to make permanent or expand such program, and any changes that should be made to such program.
f. Access to footage. Within 30 days after a council member requests to view footage captured by a body-worn camera worn as part of the pilot program, the commissioner shall make the requested footage available for the council member to view. Before making any footage available to view pursuant to this subdivision, the commissioner shall remove any identifying information from the footage by blurring faces, distorting distinguishing physical features, and redacting audio to the extent necessary to anonymize all depicted individuals.
g. Privacy. No information that is otherwise required to be reported pursuant to this section shall be reported in a manner that would violate any applicable provision of federal or state law relating to the privacy of information.
§ 2. This local law takes effect 180 days after it becomes law.
ABI
LS #21992
4/13/2026 11:51 AM