Council pushing bill to give NYPD watchdogs real-time access to bodycam footage

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New York City Council to Mandate Real-Time Access to Bodycam Footage Amid Criticism of Police Department's Transparency.

The city's police watchdog agency will have direct access to all footage captured by body-worn cameras under a proposed bill aimed at increasing transparency and accountability within the NYPD. The Civilian Complaint Review Board would be granted real-time access to the department's servers, comparable to that given to internal affairs bureau, according to the legislation.

The measure comes at a time when the police department is facing criticism for its slow response to public records requests for body camera footage. An audit by the city comptroller found that in 85% of cases between 2020 and 2024, responses were not received within five weeks, with turnaround times being faster for the watchdog agency itself – just seven days in the first half of this year.

Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has been pushing a similar measure for years, citing concerns about public transparency. "Current policies on access to body-worn camera footage have unfortunately fallen short of prioritizing public transparency," she said during a 2023 Council meeting. The NYPD would be required to allow remote users to search for specific footage by keywords, dates, and locations.

However, the Police Benevolent Association has expressed concerns that the bill represents an overreach into the day-to-day functioning of officers who have not been accused of wrongdoing. "Bills like this are a major reason cops are quitting in droves," said President Patrick Hendry. He warned that granting real-time access to bodycam footage could deter recruitment and make citizens less safe.

A hearing on the bill is set for Wednesday, with city council members facing pressure to address concerns about police accountability and transparency.
 
This new law sounds like a total game-changer 🙌! I'm all for more transparency in our police departments, especially when it comes to body cam footage. It's crazy how they've been slow to respond to public records requests - 85% of cases taking over five weeks? That's unacceptable 😳. And yeah, giving the Civilian Complaint Review Board direct access to their servers is a huge step forward. It's about time we get some real accountability in our police departments.

I do feel bad for the officers who are worried about this bill though 🤔. I can understand why they'd be concerned about their day-to-day work being scrutinized, but at the same time, I think it's a small price to pay for keeping our communities safe and transparent 🔒. And let's be real, if we're not holding them accountable, who is? 💪

It's all about finding that balance between officer safety and public trust 🤝. I hope city council members take this hearing seriously and make some tough decisions on Wednesday ⏰.
 
Ugh, this is a total overreach 🙄 - they're just gonna make things more complicated for everyone. Like, do we really need real-time access to every single piece of bodycam footage? It's already being shared pretty quickly now, so what's the rush? And yeah, sure, let the watchdog agency have direct access, but can't we just give regular people a way to request footage too? I mean, it's not like they're gonna hurt us or anything...

And those cops who are all "bills like this make us quit" need to get over themselves 🤷‍♂️ - if you've done nothing wrong, what do you have to hide? And yeah, maybe some people might be deterred from joining the force, but that's not exactly a compelling argument when it comes to public safety.
 
I'm SO FED UP WITH THE NYPD NOT BEING TRANSPARENT ENOUGH ABOUT BODYCAM FOOTAGE!!! I mean, come on, 85% of responses not coming within 5 weeks? That's just not right! We need to know what's going on when it comes to police actions and accountability. The fact that the Civilian Complaint Review Board can get footage in 7 days but others are stuck waiting for months is ridiculous. I think this new bill is a step in the right direction, though. It's about time we started holding our police department accountable for their actions. And yeah, maybe some people are worried it'll scare off potential recruits, but I think that's a small price to pay for transparency and trust between law enforcement and the public. 🚔💡
 
idk why cops need so much protection 🤷‍♀️... think they're above the law or something? 🚫 anyway, bodycam footage should be public access lol. its 2025, can't we just have transparent policing by now? 🕰️ newsflash: police are slow to respond with records and now they wanna make it harder for citizens to get info from them? no thanks. gotta trust the process... or not 🤔
 
 
omg u guys i just can't even rn i'm literally so done with police departments not being transparent enough like what even is the point of having body cam footage if it's gonna be locked away behind some red tape anyway?? idk why ppl are worried about cops quitting or getting deterred from joining the force like can't they see that transparency is key to building trust and all that jazz? 💁‍♀️🤦‍♀️ i'm all for holding officers accountable but not at the expense of public safety 🚨💯 my cousin's brother-in-law is a cop and he's always saying how frustrating it is to deal with all these bureaucratic hurdles 🙄 like can't we just get on board already??? 🚫💪
 
I'm living for this! 🤦‍♂️ Finally, some transparency in the NYPD's cam coverage. I mean, who doesn't love being able to watch their cop buddies getting all up in each other's grill? It's like a never-ending episode of Cops, but without the mustache.

But seriously, it's about time this happened. Those public records requests are like trying to find a needle in a haystack, and now it's all about making things easier for us plebeians. I'm not sure why they're worried about cops being deterred from joining up, though – maybe they should just tell them what they really want: more overtime and better donuts.

Anyway, this bill is like a breath of fresh air (or at least it'll be if they actually pass it). Let's hope the NYPD starts spilling all their secrets and we can finally have some real transparency. 💡
 
man this is some crazy stuff! 🤯 i mean i get it, police gotta be held accountable but can't we just have a little more trust in our boys in blue? 🚔 they're out there risking their lives every day, right? 💥

but at the same time, if we can't see what's going on with the footage, how are we supposed to know that justice is being served? 🤝 and it's not like they're hiding anything from us... well maybe not completely 😏.

i feel for the cops who are trying to do their job to the best of their abilities but this is a win-win for everyone! 💪 the public gets transparency, the cops get some peace of mind knowing they're being held accountable, and we all become safer 🌟.
 
this is so needed 🤝🏽📹, can't believe the NYPD has been so slow with releasing bodycam footage, it's like they're hiding something 🚫👮‍♂️. Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is totally on point 💡, we need more transparency in our law enforcement agencies. the fact that the watchdog agency gets its footage in 7 days while the public has to wait for months is just ridiculous 😱.

I'm all for giving citizens a say in what they want to see, it's only fair 🤝. the NYPD can't just hide behind "recruitment" and "public safety" as excuses 🚫💔. we need accountability and trust 🙏. I hope city council members listen to the people and pass this bill 💪🏽📢.
 
idk why ppl r against this 🤷‍♂️... NYC cops r already getting roasted 4 their slow responses to records requests 📝. think its a good move 2 give the civilian review board direct access 2 bodycam footage 📹. itll definitely help keep them accountable 4 any alleged wrongdoing 💯. dont get me wrong, i feel 4 those cops who r tryin 2 do their jobs w/ integrity 👮‍♂️... but transparency is key 2 build trust w/ the community 🤝
 
🤔 so this new bill in NYC is kinda like a big deal... they wanna give the public direct access to that footage from body-worn cameras, like 24/7. sounds good on paper but i can see why the police union is against it 🚫 their concern is that it'll be too much work for them and might even scare off new recruits 🤷‍♂️ meanwhile, the public is just trying to get some answers about what's really going down in the NYPD... transparency is key, right? 😊
 
I think this is a step in the right direction 🙌, finally getting some answers about what's really going down with the NYPD 👮‍♂️. I mean, 85% of responses take like 5 weeks? That's just ridiculous 🤯. And yeah, it's all about transparency and accountability, which we should all be able to get behind 💯. I'm worried about those cops who quit because of this kind of thing though... it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it 😩. I guess it's just a trade-off between safety and trust 🤝. Fingers crossed the hearing goes well on Wednesday 👀.
 
idk why this needs to be so complicated 🤯 think we should just have direct access to all body cam footage like in other cities already it's not that hard to implement 👍 the NYPD has been slow on responding to public records requests for years, now they're getting heat from the council and citizens alike... maybe its time for some changes 💡
 
I mean, I think this is a good thing 🙌, but at the same time, it's kinda like they're overdoing it, you know? Like, I get that we need more transparency in policing, but do we really need all the bodycam footage to be available 24/7? That's just gonna make the cops even more anxious and paranoid 🤔. And what about the officers who are trying their best? Are they gonna be held accountable for being held up in traffic or something while they're driving around with their cameras on? It's like, a little too much pressure on them, you know?

But then again, I've seen those slow response times and it's just ridiculous 🤯. The watchdog agency gets its footage in 7 days, but the public has to wait 5 weeks? That's not transparency, that's just bureaucratic red tape 🚫. And what about the cops who are trying to do their job honestly? Do we really wanna punish them for being slow with paperwork?

I don't know, man... it's like they're gonna have to find a happy medium or something 😂. Maybe this bill will lead to some good reforms, but I'm still on the fence about it 🤷‍♀️.
 
🤔 I'm all for more transparency in our institutions. If it's good enough for the internal affairs bureau, why not the public? It's crazy that we have to wait 5 weeks just to get some answers 🕰️. The NYPD has been slow to respond to public records requests, and this could help change that. But I also feel for the PBA reps who are saying this is an overreach. We need to find a balance between keeping our officers safe and being accountable as a society 💼. Can't we just try it out and see how it goes? 🤷‍♂️
 
omg I'm so down for this! 🙌 it's crazy how they're making cops accountable like that, especially when there's been so much criticism about them not being transparent enough. I mean who wants to watch a bunch of footage and then have to wait weeks to get the info they need? 🤯 it makes sense that the watchdog agency gets priority access tho, after all, they're trying to keep the cops in check.

I'm also feeling like this is a step in the right direction for community trust. When people feel like the police are working hard to be transparent and accountable, it's way more likely that we'll see less unrest and more cooperation between law enforcement and the public 💖
 
I think this is a super important step forward in holding our cops accountable 🕵️‍♀️. I mean, it's crazy that we had to wait 7 whole days just to get some footage back from the watchful eye (internal affairs) and they got their responses in like 2 days lol 😂. As for the PBA saying this is gonna scare off cops, yeah, no thanks 🙅‍♂️. We need transparency so we know what's really going on. And if some officers are too scared to wear a camera because of it, then maybe they shouldn't be doing their jobs in the first place 👮‍♂️. Can't have our cops being above the law or covering up for each other 🚫.
 
I dont think its a bad idea 🤔. I mean, if theres something fishy going on and the public needs to see it, then whats wrong with giving them access to that footage? 📹 But at the same time, Id understand why some cops might be worried about their colleagues getting bullied online or having their personal stuff exposed 🙈. The key is probably finding a balance between being transparent and protecting the officers who arent doing anything wrong 👮‍♂️. What do you think tho?
 
I don't think it's too much to ask for real-time access to bodycam footage 🤔, especially when cops are getting slammed for being slow to respond to public records requests. The fact that the watchdog agency can get their hands on it in 7 days is a big difference from the NYPD taking weeks or even months. I mean, if they're already giving internal affairs guys access to it, why not the public? 💡 Council Speaker Adrienne Adams seems like she's doing her job 👍 and pushing for transparency that actually makes sense. And yeah, I get where the Police Benevolent Association is coming from, but at what cost? The NYPD is already getting roasted for their lack of accountability...let them take some more heat 🚔
 
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