NYPD

NYC Bill Would Force NYPD To Tell Details Of Surveillance Tools

Legislation debated Wednesday before the New York City Council would force the NYPD to disclose some details about surveillance technology such as cellphone-tower replicators, X-ray vans, and license-plate readers. The NYPD also would need to adopt what lawmakers say are privacy disclosures similar to those of the Department of Homeland Security and other municipalities. Under the POST Act —short for Public Oversight of Police Technology— the NYPD would need to publicly disclose each item’s current and future “impact and use policies,” seek public feedback, and explain whether court permission is needed for deployment.

NYPD Sent Video Teams To Record Occupy And BLM Protests Over 400 Times, Documents Reveal

New York City Police Department documents obtained by The Verge show that police camera teams were deployed to hundreds of Black Lives Matter and Occupy Wall Street protests from 2011–2013 and 2016. Originally acquired through a Freedom of Information Law request by New York attorney David Thompson of Stecklow, Cohen & Thompson, the records are job reports from the NYPD’s Technical Assistance Response Unit (TARU) that document over 400 instances in which the unit’s video team attended, and sometimes filmed, demonstrations. More important than the records the NYPD turned over, however, are those that it claims it cannot find: namely, any documents demonstrating that legal reviews and authorizations of these surveillance operations took place.

NYPD Equips Officers With Biometric Smartphones

New York Police Department officers and vehicles are to be outfitted with new technology as part of a $160 million program that will lead to fewer arrests and more summonses after being fully implemented next year, Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters on Oct. 23. All 35,000 NYPD officers will be equipped with smartphones that allow officers to search databases, view wanted posters, and scan suspects’ fingerprints.

NYPD Officers in Fresh Assault Claims: ‘They Were Taking Turns Like a Gang’

The New York police department is facing renewed questions over the conduct of its personnel after a man alleged he was viciously assaulted without provocation by a group of uniformed officers. Santiago Hernandez, 23, claims that he was kicked, punched, and zapped with pepper spray by up to six officers on 157th Street in the Bronx on 18 August. A video of his arrest captured by a nearby security camera and published by the local TV channel ABC 7 shows the police initially frisking him, then handcuffing him, and finally piling on top of Hernandez as he lay on the sidewalk while apparently hitting him with batons.

NYPD Officers to Begin Wearing Body Cameras as Part of Settlement

Sixty New York City police officers will wear body cameras as part of a pilot program in the wake of a federal lawsuit [see SecurityHive’s original article here.] challenging the department’s controversial stop-and-frisk tactics and the recent death of Eric Garner during an arrest, city officials said. Police Commissioner William Bratton announced the program Thursday, saying officers in at least one precinct in each of New York City’s five boroughs will begin wearing the surveillance devices.

NYPD Urged To Step Up Body-Worn Camera Pilot After Chokehold Death

Amid accusations of excessive force and increasing civilian video of police activity, New York officers may wear cameras while on duty. Had the death of 43-year-old Eric Garner not been caught on film, calls to outfit New York Police Department officers with cameras might have quietly faded. Instead, a bystander captured Garner locked in a […]

Brooklyn White Flags: Five Teen Suspects Being Searched In Brooklyn Bridge Security Breach

Mysterious White Flags Fly on Brooklyn Bridge — Police were searching Wednesday for a skateboard-toting youth and four pals after being spotted crossing the Brooklyn Bridge just 20 minutes before its flags were stolen. After the mysterious appearance of two high-flying white flags fluttering atop the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City raised speculations Tuesday […]

Drone Flies Too Close To NYPD Chopper; Operators Arrested

Two New York men face felony charges after authorities said they flew a drone within 800 feet of a New York Police Department helicopter. The helicopter pilot spotted the small, unmanned aircraft near the George Washington Bridge early Monday, police said. The drone suddenly ascended from 200 feet to 2,000 feet and continued to circle […]

Should Cops Be Made To Wear Video Cameras?

I believe the quality and size is already good enough. You are right that cameras help protect officers from false accusations, will help obtain convictions, and discourage attacks on LEOs, but the general trend is for Law Enforcement Unions and organizations to resist all attempts to make officers more accountable. "The LE2 is the most widely used wearable police camera designed specifically for law enforcement. The LE2 easily clips to a police or security uniform to record the actions of the wearer and those around them. The LE2 uses our proprietary VERIPATROL™ software system to securely store and manage video files. The LE2 camera and VERIPATROL software utilizes a FIPS 140-2 compliant Digital Signature process to prove that the video has not been altered and VidLock security prevents unauthorized access if the camera is lost or stolen. The LE2 camera is available in an IACP compliant green or covert black lens color. Camera Features 4 hr Recording Time 4 hr Battery Life 4 GB Internal Memory Date & Time Stamp (GMT) Digital Signature Security SD Video Resolution (640×480) 30 Frames Per Second Field of View: 71 degrees Color Video & Audio Waterproof (IPX5) Dimensions: 3″ ×2″ × .85″ Weight: 3.5oz Compatible: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 Green Design – RoHS & WEEE certified" Hardware "NYPD, Union resists order to test body cameras It’s possible that cops can’t be forced to wear the extra equipment without it being first negotiated as part of their union contract The New York Post […]

Google Glass Is Being Beta Tested In New York Police Department

Google Glass is Being Beta Tested in New York Police Department The New York City Police Department ’s intelligence and analytics unit is testing out Google Glass to determine if it’s a fit for investigating terrorists and helping cops catch criminals. According to VentureBeat , the department recently received several pairs of the glasses to beta-test. A Google spokesman told VentureBeat that the NYPD likely got their glasses through the Google Glass Explorer program, where people interested in buying them must apply, and then wait for their application to get accepted or denied. Those who get accepted must then play the $1,500 price tag to acquire them.  The NYPD might take advantage of the wireless facial recognition software. Google Glass could help with matching suspects’ faces to information in numerous police databases and federal law enforcement agencies. For example, this would give investigators a way to see a suspect’s criminal record while interviewing them. Various liberty groups have spoken out against the department’s intended usage, as it could potentially violate the privacy rights of innocent citizens, while other law enforcement officials state that the glasses’ ability to “spy” on suspects is limited. However, the NYPD remains optimistic. “We think it could help impact patrol operations in New York City,” one NYC law enforcement official told VentureBeat . “We shall see.” [via Venture Beat ] Stay Connected with Follow Tags: nypd , google , google-glass , beta

NYPD Installs 200 Cameras Ahead Of Super Bowl

Published: January 24, 2014 1:20 PM By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A technician works on a light post where… Photo credit: AP | A technician works on a light post where a temporary surveillance camera is installed in New York. New York City police are blanketing midtown Manhattan with temporary surveillance cameras as one of many security measures being taken to protect visitors for the Super Bowl. (Jan. 23, 2014) When Super Bowl fans fill the streets of New York City next week, police will be watching them closely — in person, in the air and on closed-circuit monitors. The New York Police Department has quietly installed about 200 temporary surveillance cameras in midtown Manhattan to help spot trouble along "Super Bowl Boulevard," a 13-block street fair on Broadway that’s expected to draw large crowds during the windup to the game. Banners promoting the fair compete on the same lampposts with decidedly less festive signs reading, "NYPD Security Camera in Area." The heavy surveillance is one facet of a vast security effort by scores of law enforcement agencies that spent the past two years devising their own version of a zone defense to protect Super Bowl events that are all over the map. Manhattan and Brooklyn will be the scene of dozens of pre-game gatherings, while across the Hudson River, Newark will stage Media Day, Jersey City will host the Seahawks and Broncos at hotels there before the kickoff on Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. At a […]

Police ‘Smart Cars’ To Be Equipped With Fingerprint Scanners And Facial Recognition Sensors

NY – The department’s prototype “smart car,” outfitted with the latest gadgets in public safety. It has two infrared monitors mounted on the trunk that record any numbers it sees—such as license plates and addresses. It has surveillance cameras and air sensors capable of sending real-time information to police headquarters. The NYPD says it is the cruiser of the very near future. The smart car is one of dozens of projects included in a long-term strategic plan known as NYPD2020 , prepared in November for Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. The 13-page report describes initiatives ranging from the high-tech (500 officers have received Samsung Rugby smartphones equipped to deliver real-time crime data) to the bureaucratic (new guidelines for recruiting and keeping qualified candidates). More than a dozen are already under way. The initiative began in 2011, under the guidance of McKinsey & Co. The consulting firm worked with NYPD officials over 11 months to create a road map for the department over the next decade. McKinsey & Co. declined to comment. The report said using a consultant would help force change in such a large organization. Experts agreed. “Even the NYPD is limited in the things they can and can’t do,” said Jon Shane, a professor in the Department of Law, Police Science and Criminal Justice Administration at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Mr. Kelly then charged the NYPD’s project-management office to decide which of the nearly 260 projects could be started immediately. The office’s seven employees, who have […]

NYPD Wants Stores To Turn Security Cameras Toward Streets

Kevin Samson Activist Post New York City has become the epicenter of a massive apparatus of citizen surveillance, harassment, and control. It’s a place rife with biometrics, a city-wide camera system supplying real-time data to law enforcement, and a militarized physical presence that has turned the city into an armed encampment. New York, in fact, is the testing ground for the implementation of military-level counterterrorism operations on American soil. According to a 60 Minutes interview with Commissioner Ray Kelly , he commands a force larger than the FBI, consisting of 35,000 uniformed officers and 15,000 civilian employees.  New York’s surveillance city  – aka Ring of Steel – has no rival in the realm of Big Brother worship. But so far this is mostly confined to the center. However, in outlying districts, the surveillance society is yet to be imposed full force. The NYPD is now asking for businesses to cooperate in helping to make that happen. Citing a rise in violent crime in the 32nd Precint, Harlem, Commander Rodney Harrison is proposing a cooperation with local businesses dubbed “Grid Search.”  The (disarmed) residents seem to be all for it: Many nearby residents said it was a splendid idea.  “You’ve got a lot of these gang members out here attacking people for no reason,” said one neighbor, Dwayne. “They need to just put a lot of cameras up in storefronts to lower the crime rate.”  However, the (also disarmed) business owners aren’t embracing the idea as enthusiastically: But some business […]

Stop, Frisk, and Record

From New York City to Rialto, CA: Police Body Cameras Issues include whether a mandatory worn-video appliance would compromise police duties and effectiveness; would politicize basic law enforcement; would provide social activists with a diversionary platform; would open the door to extensive past and present complaints leading to backlogs of lawsuits; would end up benefitting […]