New York City's Police Department Fails to Meet Deadline for Releasing Body Camera Footage, Comptroller Audit Finds
The NYPD has consistently failed to turn over video footage of police encounters on time, with many cases going unreported until after an appeal was filed. An audit by the city comptroller found that in 97% of cases where a request was made through New York's freedom of information law, the department did not respond within 25 business days, and even then, it often didn't provide footage until after the requester appealed.
Introduced in 2019, the body-worn camera program aims to increase transparency in policing. However, with over five years of data from 2020 to 2024, a significant portion of requested videos were delayed, with an average response time of 133 business days – far exceeding the internal goal set by the department.
Comptroller Brad Lander called this lack of oversight "a hunk of metal" that fails to deliver on its purpose. He stated, "With proper oversight, body-worn cameras are a tool for gathering evidence, strengthening accountability, improving policing practices, and building trust."
The audit found that nearly all requests that were denied later had their status changed after an appeal was submitted, with the department citing that requesters appealed before they made their decision. This raises questions about the department's transparency and whether it truly is acting in the public interest.
Furthermore, the review revealed that the department failed to monitor officers' adherence to using body-worn cameras as required. An investigation found that nearly 20% of recorded videos had incorrect or missing data, including not activating the camera during an encounter or stopping the recording too early.
In response to the audit's findings, the NYPD agreed to several recommendations for improvement, including increasing staff at its Legal Bureau and investigating lower activation rates at certain precincts. However, Deputy Commissioner Kristine M. Ryan disputed some of the audit's conclusions, citing methodological flaws in using 2020 data as a reference point.
The police department's failure to meet deadlines and maintain transparency with body-worn camera footage is concerning, particularly given its role in building trust between law enforcement and the public.
The NYPD has consistently failed to turn over video footage of police encounters on time, with many cases going unreported until after an appeal was filed. An audit by the city comptroller found that in 97% of cases where a request was made through New York's freedom of information law, the department did not respond within 25 business days, and even then, it often didn't provide footage until after the requester appealed.
Introduced in 2019, the body-worn camera program aims to increase transparency in policing. However, with over five years of data from 2020 to 2024, a significant portion of requested videos were delayed, with an average response time of 133 business days – far exceeding the internal goal set by the department.
Comptroller Brad Lander called this lack of oversight "a hunk of metal" that fails to deliver on its purpose. He stated, "With proper oversight, body-worn cameras are a tool for gathering evidence, strengthening accountability, improving policing practices, and building trust."
The audit found that nearly all requests that were denied later had their status changed after an appeal was submitted, with the department citing that requesters appealed before they made their decision. This raises questions about the department's transparency and whether it truly is acting in the public interest.
Furthermore, the review revealed that the department failed to monitor officers' adherence to using body-worn cameras as required. An investigation found that nearly 20% of recorded videos had incorrect or missing data, including not activating the camera during an encounter or stopping the recording too early.
In response to the audit's findings, the NYPD agreed to several recommendations for improvement, including increasing staff at its Legal Bureau and investigating lower activation rates at certain precincts. However, Deputy Commissioner Kristine M. Ryan disputed some of the audit's conclusions, citing methodological flaws in using 2020 data as a reference point.
The police department's failure to meet deadlines and maintain transparency with body-worn camera footage is concerning, particularly given its role in building trust between law enforcement and the public.
. I mean, if they're really committed to being transparent about police encounters, shouldn't they be able to get their stuff together on time? 133 business days is ridiculous - that's like, a whole semester worth of classes 
. And what's up with all the delays until someone appeals for them? It just feels like they're hiding something 
.
And those precincts where activation rates are low, what's being done to address it? We need more oversight and less excuses 
. This is all about trust between the police and the public, but I don't think they're taking it seriously enough.
. The city comptroller audit was spot on in saying that body-worn cameras are a tool for accountability and transparency... it's just not being used that way right now 
. We need to see some real changes, or else I think people will start to lose faith in the system 
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. The lesson here is that accountability matters – just because we want something to happen doesn't mean it will unless we check in on each other regularly 
. I mean, 133 business days for a response is insane! That's like, half a year 
. They need to get their act together and start taking responsibility for what they do on camera. It's not that hard, right? 
and another thing, if they're citing the requester as appealing before they make their decision, that's just plain weird 
. I mean, you'd think that with all the technology they have, it's not that hard to make sure we can see what's going on when they're dealing with people. The fact that 97% of cases take more than 25 business days to respond is just crazy! 
. We need to see real progress before I can start feeling like the NYPD is being truly transparent about their actions.
. i mean, come on, if you're gonna wear a camera on your body, you gotta be transparent about what's going down inside those cameras 
. this audit is like, totally exposing the nypd's lack of accountability and it's time for them to step up their game 
. 133 business days? that's like, forever 
. we need more oversight and less secrecy from our law enforcement agencies 
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It's all just a big game of cat and mouse, with the NYPD playing hard to get. 
Can't they just follow the rules like everyone else? 
that's longer than most midterms last 
. I'm all for transparency but I don't think it's too much to ask for ppl to be held accountable on time, you feel?
. 97% of requests not being responded to on time is wild! It's like, what even is the goal here? 
And don't even get me started on those 20% videos with incorrect data... that's a whole nother level of sketchy 
. Maybe some more oversight would help? 
It's time to get those videos out there so we can see what really goes on in our city.
NYPD is like so bad at keeping records 
like how am i supposed to know if u did somethin wrong or not if u dont give me da footage? 
and whats w/ dey sayin we can trust dem now cuz dey fixed some stuff 
. It's like, you gotta appeal just to get some answers, which is no way to build trust between the cops and the public. And what's with all the missed data on the videos? That's like, a major red flag 
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. We gotta keep pushing for better, you know? Transparency, accountability, and truth in policing – it's not that hard to get right 
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we need real change here, not just some token improvements 