"The relationship between law enforcement and the
communities they serve isn't working," Governor Cuomo said. "New York
is the progressive capital of the nation, and we are leading the way by
enacting real reforms to increase transparency in policing, promote
accountability among our law enforcement agencies and ultimately mend that
frayed relationship between the police and the community."
Requiring Use of Body Cameras (S.8493/A.8674)
This new law requires all New York State Police patrol
officers to use body-worn cameras while on patrol to record immediately before
an officer exits a patrol vehicle to interact with a person or situation; all
uses of force; all arrests and summonses; all interactions with individuals
suspected of criminal activity; all searches of persons and property; any call
to a crime in progress; investigative actions involving interactions with
members of the public; any interaction with an emotionally disturbed person;
and any instances where an officer feels any imminent danger or the need to
document their time on duty. The law also requires law enforcement to keep
video records of all these interactions.
Creating the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative
Office (S.3595-C/A.10002)
This new law establishes the independent Law Enforcement
Misconduct Investigative Office within the Department of Law to review, study,
audit and make recommendations to police agencies in the State with the goal of
enhancing the effectiveness of law enforcement; increasing public safety;
protecting civil liberties and civil rights; ensuring compliance with
constitutional protections and local, state and federal laws; and increasing
the public's confidence in law enforcement. The Office will also handle
misconduct complaints statewide about any local law enforcement agencies.
Unlike the Special Prosecutor, which is triggered only upon a law enforcement
related death, this will allow for an independent review of complaints of
misconduct for any local law enforcement agency. For state police agencies, the
State Inspector General and the MTA Inspector General and Port Authority
Inspector General have their jurisdiction expanded to receive complaints of law
enforcement misconduct.
