New York City's Police Department Has Failed to Meet Transparency Deadline for Body Camera Footage
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has consistently missed its own deadline for releasing body-worn camera footage to the public, an audit by the city comptroller's office found. Despite introducing the cameras in 2019 with the goal of increasing transparency and accountability, the department failed to turn over footage on time in nearly all cases.
Between 2020 and 2024, the department received more than 5,400 requests for body camera footage under New York's freedom of information law (FOIL). However, it took an average of 133 business days for the NYPD to respond to these requests, well beyond the standard 25-business-day deadline. In some cases, the department didn't even begin processing requests until after they had been appealed.
The audit also found that nearly all denied requests were later granted after being appealed by the requester. This suggests that the department was often slow to process initial requests or was simply too lenient in its decision-making. Comptroller Brad Lander argued that this undermines the purpose of body-worn cameras, which are meant to provide transparency and evidence for accountability.
Moreover, the audit discovered that the NYPD wasn't adequately monitoring whether officers were turning on their cameras as required. The department had an internal procedure in place where sergeants from various precincts were supposed to randomly select five videos each month and review them using inspection worksheets. However, in over half of the months covered by the audit, the department was unable to provide these worksheets.
In addition, investigators found that officers often failed to follow the correct videotaping procedure during encounters. This resulted in footage being recorded too late or stopped early, which can be problematic for accountability and transparency efforts.
Despite some criticism from the NYPD, the department ultimately agreed to several recommendations aimed at improving transparency and oversight of body-worn camera footage. However, questions remain about whether these changes will effectively address the issues identified by the audit.
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has consistently missed its own deadline for releasing body-worn camera footage to the public, an audit by the city comptroller's office found. Despite introducing the cameras in 2019 with the goal of increasing transparency and accountability, the department failed to turn over footage on time in nearly all cases.
Between 2020 and 2024, the department received more than 5,400 requests for body camera footage under New York's freedom of information law (FOIL). However, it took an average of 133 business days for the NYPD to respond to these requests, well beyond the standard 25-business-day deadline. In some cases, the department didn't even begin processing requests until after they had been appealed.
The audit also found that nearly all denied requests were later granted after being appealed by the requester. This suggests that the department was often slow to process initial requests or was simply too lenient in its decision-making. Comptroller Brad Lander argued that this undermines the purpose of body-worn cameras, which are meant to provide transparency and evidence for accountability.
Moreover, the audit discovered that the NYPD wasn't adequately monitoring whether officers were turning on their cameras as required. The department had an internal procedure in place where sergeants from various precincts were supposed to randomly select five videos each month and review them using inspection worksheets. However, in over half of the months covered by the audit, the department was unable to provide these worksheets.
In addition, investigators found that officers often failed to follow the correct videotaping procedure during encounters. This resulted in footage being recorded too late or stopped early, which can be problematic for accountability and transparency efforts.
Despite some criticism from the NYPD, the department ultimately agreed to several recommendations aimed at improving transparency and oversight of body-worn camera footage. However, questions remain about whether these changes will effectively address the issues identified by the audit.
I'm literally shaking my head over this one. Like, what's the point of even having body cameras if we can't get our hands on the footage in a timely manner? 
It's not like it's rocket science to release footage that shows what happened during an incident. The NYPD is basically saying they're too busy or too lazy to do their job properly. And don't even get me started on how they weren't monitoring if cameras were actually being used. That's just basic oversight 101. 
The NYPD is supposed to be serving the public, not hiding info from them. 5,400 requests for body cam footage and they still can't meet their own deadline? It's like they're trying to cover up something. And don't even get me started on how they're handling appeals - it's like a game of cat and mouse! 
The comptroller is right, the whole point of body-worn cameras was to increase transparency and accountability, but if they can't even follow their own procedures, what's the point? 
It's just not good enough.
I'm not surprised that the NYC PD is struggling with releasing body cam footage on time. It's like they're trying to keep secrets from us 
. Look, transparency and accountability are important, but it's also about making sure these cameras are actually working properly. The audit says half the sergeants aren't even following through with their part of the process, which is a big issue 
. I get that it can be hard to keep track, but come on, it's just basic stuff like turning on the camera during encounters or following procedure 
. The good news is they're making some changes, but we need to make sure those changes stick and we're actually getting more transparency from the NYPD 
.
I guess it just goes to show that we need more checks and balances in place to make sure this stuff gets done right. Maybe the NYPD needs to rethink its whole approach to body-worn cameras... like, why are they still having these issues after 6 years of introducing them? 
Average response time of 133 days is ridiculous! 
Not to mention, officers didn't follow proper filming procedures, which makes accountability and transparency efforts super hard 
it seems like they're just going thru the motions. and if officers are not following proper videotaping procedures, then how can we trust that footage is even accurate? 
.
They introduce body cameras to increase transparency and accountability, but then they go and mess it up with delayed responses and inconsistent decision-making 
. I'm all about organization and structure in my personal life (hello, bullet points!), so it's infuriating to see a department struggling with something as simple as transparency 
. Let's hope their new recommendations stick and actually make a difference 
.
. Can't believe they missed the deadline like 5k+ times already! What's the point of having cameras if you're gonna take forever to release the footage? And btw, who thought it was a good idea to have sergeants just randomly pick videos out of thin air? 
and yeah, it's pretty messed up that they're not monitoring those cameras properly... sounds like a total lack of accountability 
. and what's up with all these denied requests getting granted after an appeal? 
. And what's with the inconsistent application of rules? If officers can't even follow proper videotaping procedures during encounters, how are we supposed to trust the footage? 
. I think it's crazy that they've missed their own deadline like 5 times already! It's all about transparency and accountability, right? 
.
. We need more transparency and accountability from our law enforcement 
. Remember when we used to watch those old cop shows and they always had a cool gadget like a superpower watch? This is kinda like that, but instead of being cool, it's just slow and bureaucratic 
.
I'm not surprised to hear that the NYPD missed its own deadline for releasing body cam footage...again 
. It's crazy that they're so slow to process requests and don't even start until after an appeal is filed. And to make matters worse, they weren't monitoring their own cameras properly either 
. I hope these changes will actually lead to some real improvements in transparency and oversight... but it's hard to be optimistic right now