NYPD Nearing Launch of Body Camera Pilot
Thursday, August 28, 2014
A body camera worn by police officers in London.
(YUI MOK,YUI MOK/AFP/Getty Images)
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday that the city is "absolutely committed" to a body camera pilot program.
Federal Judge Shira Scheindlin initially ordered the program when she ruled against the city in a stop-and-frisk lawsuit. De Blasio said he was briefed on the intricate issues associated with using body cameras and said the city is willing to tackle any problems they come across while implementing the program.
“There's real nuances here; they will be worked on,” the mayor said. “And again, this administration's position is we want this pilot to move forward and we think there's something important there.”
Police commissioner Bill Bratton said he's sent teams from the New York City Police Department to Los Angeles and other cities where the cameras are in use to "actively research" the technology. Speaking at a general press briefing at One Police Plaza on Thursday, Bratton said he anticipates a formal announcement of the program in the "very near future" and offered his full-throated support for the technology.
"It's a technology I support strongly. It's a technology that is needed in America to help deal with so many of the events we're seeing," Bratton said.
In recent weeks, Public Advocate Letitia James has also championed the use of body cameras on NYPD officers, holding a press conference at her Lower Manhattan office to demonstrate how the body-worn cameras would work. James said the city spent $152 million last year on misconduct-related judgments and settlements. Her pilot program would cost about $5 million.
De Blasio’s statement comes in the wake of the death of Staten Island resident Eric Garner, who was placed in a fatal chokehold by an NYPD officer during his arrest.
Federal Judge Shira Scheindlin initially ordered the program when she ruled against the city in a stop-and-frisk lawsuit. De Blasio said he was briefed on the intricate issues associated with using body cameras and said the city is willing to tackle any problems they come across while implementing the program.
“There's real nuances here; they will be worked on,” the mayor said. “And again, this administration's position is we want this pilot to move forward and we think there's something important there.”
Police commissioner Bill Bratton said he's sent teams from the New York City Police Department to Los Angeles and other cities where the cameras are in use to "actively research" the technology. Speaking at a general press briefing at One Police Plaza on Thursday, Bratton said he anticipates a formal announcement of the program in the "very near future" and offered his full-throated support for the technology.
"It's a technology I support strongly. It's a technology that is needed in America to help deal with so many of the events we're seeing," Bratton said.
In recent weeks, Public Advocate Letitia James has also championed the use of body cameras on NYPD officers, holding a press conference at her Lower Manhattan office to demonstrate how the body-worn cameras would work. James said the city spent $152 million last year on misconduct-related judgments and settlements. Her pilot program would cost about $5 million.
De Blasio’s statement comes in the wake of the death of Staten Island resident Eric Garner, who was placed in a fatal chokehold by an NYPD officer during his arrest.
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Brigid Bergin, Reporter
Brigid Bergin is the City Hall reporter for WNYC. She covers city politics including the 2013 mayoral race and transition.
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