NYPD To Release Body Camera Footage Of Shootings, Other Encounters Within 30 Days, Mayor Says
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NEW YORK, NY (WCBS) — The NYPD will now be required to publicly release body camera footage of certain encounters within 30 days, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday.
The mayor said the move is a step toward building trust and transparency.
“Body-worn cameras are only as powerful as the transparency that comes with them,” he said during his daily press briefing.
De Blasio said there are currently 24,000 body-worn cameras deployed across the department. Until now, the footage was only released when ordered by the commissioner.
Effective immediately, all video or audio must be publicly released online within 30 days in three instances: When an officer discharges a firearm that hits or could hit someone, when an officer discharges a Taser in a way that results in death or substantial bodily harm, or when an officer’s use of force results in death or great bodily harm.
The footage will first be shown to family members of those involved, and then posted for the public online.
“We have to get to the day where people see a police officer there to protect them and have faith. The faith has to be mutual; it has to be that everyone understands there is a responsibility to each other,” said de Blasio. “But accountability and transparency are what bond that together.”
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