Current Events > NYPD Union Sues To Stop Release Of All Bodycam Footage, It Violates Civil Rights

(+) Yeah! (+)

According to them anyway.

https://lawandcrime.com/police/nypd-union-sues-to-stop-release-of-all-bodycam-footage-because-it-violates-officers-civil-rights/

The largest police union in New York City is suing Mayor Bill De Blasio in order to stop the release of any and all body camera footage obtained by officers with the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

The Patrolmens Benevolent Association (PBA) filed the lawsuit on January 9, claiming that the release of police body camera footage amounts to a violation of NYPD officers civil rights.

The PBAs 30-page petition, filed by attorney Michael Bowe, mostly relies upon the contention that three specific releases of body camera footage by the City of New York constitute a violation of New York Civil Rights Law 50-a. The suit, which aims to halt all further releases of any such body camera footage, reads, in relevant part:

Civil Rights Law 50-a prohibits Respondents from releasing records used to evaluate [a police officers] performance toward continued employment or promotion that are under the control of any police agency, unless they have secured a Court ordered permitting them to do so.

In an additional memorandum filed alongside the lawsuit, Bowe wrote, These selective releases are clearly prohibited by statute and long-standing court precedent, and reflect a reckless disregard for very serious safety, privacy, due process, and other interests.

PBA President Patrick Lynch harshly condemned the release of body camera footage in a statement. He said:

This footage has serious implications not only for the safety and due process rights of police officers, but for the privacy and rights of members of the public, as well. The Mayor and the NYPD have shown a reckless disregard for these concerns by circumventing the existing process set up by the State Legislature and selectively releasing portions of videos to suit their own interests.

The interests Lynch is railing against are apparently the De Blasio administrations stated commitment to openness from the mayors office.

In response to the lawsuit, De Blasio spokesman Austin Finan said, The mayor and the police commissioner have spoken to the need for increasing transparency into the way our city is policed. The release of body camera footage, when possible, is an important extension of that commitment.

"But...but...nothing to hide nothing to worry about"
---

Fucking police
---

Why do we even need body cams on police. The word of the officer is good enough for me.
---

They conveniently turn off anyways, and all footage from bystanders seems to get discarded and not allowed in trial. Basically, there's no such thing as a good cop, yadda yadda.
---

And people wonder why people mistrust and/or hate cops and fear for their lives when they have to deal with them.
---

The ACLU sued to prevent police from using body cams when handling protesters also, citing fears of privacy violations. This is an issue that isnt quite as cut and dry as either side would like to claim.
---

The Admiral posted...

LIBERALS! sued to prevent police from

God damn do all you fucking people do is deflect?
Anyone trying to stop video footage of an altercation is a piece of shit, full stop.
---

Imagine if we didn't have body cams that cop never would have been caught planting drugs on people to arrest them.
---

Anarchy_Juiblex posted...

The Admiral posted...

LIBERALS! sued to prevent police from

God damn do all you fucking people do is deflect?
Anyone trying to stop video footage of an altercation is a piece of shit, full stop.

Are you ok? Nobody mentioned liberals.
---

Anarchy_Juiblex posted...

The Admiral posted...

LIBERALS! sued to prevent police from

God damn do all you fucking people do is deflect?
Anyone trying to stop video footage of an altercation is a piece of shit, full stop.

Are you ok man?
---

Irony posted...

Fucking police

---

Good
---

muchdran posted...

Good

Why?
---

pigs gonna pig

they obviously dont want to be held accountable for their violence racist gestapo actions
---

there is no point in a bodycam if we can't see them.
---

shockthemonkey posted...

The Admiral posted...

The ACLU sued to prevent police from using body cams when handling protesters also, citing fears of privacy violations. This is an issue that isnt quite as cut and dry as either side would like to claim.

That was in opposition to mass surveillance at protests, not every day use of body cams.

shhh. Admiral doesnt like details.
---

You're telling me the department that shot up a bachelor party's vehicle 50 times doesn't want people to see evidence of their actions. Shocking. Truly shocking

gunplagirl posted...

They conveniently off bystanders.

See what I did to that sentence? How technically you said all of that but it's arranged out of context to be completely different than what you really said? That's what they're worried about people doing to bodycam footage.
---

Southernfatman posted...

And people wonder why people mistrust and/or hate cops and fear for their lives when they have to deal with them.

---

They just switch them off anyway, maybe in the future we'll see automated drones that follow the officers every time they leave their vehicles.
---

Operating with impunity is not a civil right

NY especially, seems to have a cultish gang for a police force.

You can thank Rudy for that.
---

treewojima posted...

Operating with impunity is not a civil right

Furthermore privacy at work has never been a civil right.
---

voldothegr8 posted...

treewojima posted...

Operating with impunity is not a civil right

Furthermore privacy at work has never been a civil right.

very true. this has been legally decided for decades now, especially with internet and email.
---

Man, as a cop, I'd be all for body cams right now. Even assuming you don't get killed over stupid shit, doing one tiny wrong thing or busting a nose during a struggle can mean the end for yours, and your families livelihood in the blink of an eye.

I understand why they don't want them, but still.

I dont think its a secret to anyone who has paid attention to de Blasio that police arent his favorite people.
---

iamintents posted...

shockthemonkey posted...

The Admiral posted...

The ACLU sued to prevent police from using body cams when handling protesters also, citing fears of privacy violations. This is an issue that isnt quite as cut and dry as either side would like to claim.

That was in opposition to mass surveillance at protests, not every day use of body cams.

shhh. Admiral doesnt like details.

Those details were literally in my post, which neither of you could apparently read properly.
---

Police are absolute fucking filth.
---

Fishy posted...

gunplagirl posted...

They conveniently off bystanders.

See what I did to that sentence? How technically you said all of that but it's arranged out of context to be completely different than what you really said? That's what they're worried about people doing to bodycam footage.

Bullshit.
---

Yeah... No

Cops can fuck right off with their 'civil rights'

They're not civilians

butthole666 posted...

Police are absolute fucking filth.

I really feel sorry for you guys who live in places with such horrible cops or blindly follow what the anti-cop media tells you. Either situation is horrible.
---