NY court: Public allowed to see police body camera footage
Source: Associated Press
Michael R. Sisak, Associated Press
Updated 3:25 pm CST, Tuesday, February 19, 2019
NEW YORK (AP) — Police body camera footage is subject to public disclosure under New York law, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday.
The Appellate Division panel rejected a police union's argument that body camera footage constitutes a personnel record and is therefore covered by a state law keeping police personnel records secret.
Body camera video "is more akin to arrest or stop reports, and not records primarily generated for disciplinary and promotional purposes," the court said. "To hold otherwise would defeat the purpose of the body-worn-camera program to promote increased transparency and public accountability."
The New York Police Department and police reform advocates welcomed the decision. The city's largest police union, which sued to block the disclosure of footage, said the court's decision was "wrong" and that it was considering an appeal
Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/NY-court-Public-allowed-to-see-police-body-13627966.php