ALBANY, N.Y. — Under new legislation signed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday, all New York State Police officers are now required to wear body cameras while on patrol.
Under the new law, New York State Police patrol officers must use body cameras to record immediately before an officer exits a patrol vehicle to interact with a person or situation. This includes 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.
To further improve transparency in law enforcement and to help promote accountability, the governor also created the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office within the Department of Law. The Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office will review, study, audit and make recommendations to police agencies in New York State. The office will also handle misconduct complaints across the state about any local law enforcement agencies.
According to New York State, the new office has a goal of enhancing the effectiveness of law enforcement, increasing public safety, protecting civil liberties, ensuring compliance with constitutional protections and local, state and federal laws, and increasing the public's confidence in law enforcement.
"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."