Bill Text: NY A04790 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Relates to establishing a pilot program for the use of body-worn cameras on certain correction officers.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 22-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to correction [A04790 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A04790-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          4790
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    February 5, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of A. BLAKE, BENEDETTO, COOK, DAVILA, DICKENS, GOTT-
          FRIED, JEAN-PIERRE, JOYNER, MOSLEY, O'DONNELL, PEOPLES-STOKES, RIVERA,
          SEAWRIGHT, STECK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M.  of  A.  CROUCH,  LIFTON,
          TITUS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction
        AN  ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to establishing a pilot
          program for the use of body-worn cameras on certain  correction  offi-
          cers
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new  section  135
     2  to read as follows:
     3    §  135.  Body  camera  for  correction officers pilot program. 1.  The
     4  commissioner shall, after consultation with the chairman  of  the  state
     5  commission  of  corrections, establish a pilot program providing for the
     6  use of a body-worn personal video recording device on certain correction
     7  officers assigned to the supervision of general population inmates at  a
     8  maximum  security facility. No fewer than fifty correction officers in a
     9  single shift shall be selected to participate  in  this  pilot  program.
    10  Each officer chosen shall wear a personal video recording device affixed
    11  to  his  or  her  uniform  while on duty in the facility chosen for such
    12  pilot program. The personal video recording device shall record all  the
    13  interactions  of a correction officer and inmates under his or her care,
    14  custody and control. The recording shall include both audio and video.
    15    2. All such equipment shall be installed on or before six months after
    16  the effective date of the chapter of laws of two thousand nineteen  that
    17  added  this  section.  The  commissioner  shall promulgate all rules and
    18  regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.  Such
    19  rules  and  regulations shall require that all video recordings be cata-
    20  logued and maintained as a record by the department for  not  less  than
    21  six  months and shall establish minimum standards for the personal video
    22  recording devices, and recording equipment to be  used  and  furthermore
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD08781-01-9
        A. 4790                             2
     1  shall  provide  for the protection of personal privacy for those persons
     2  whose actions may be recorded. No personal video recording  devices  may
     3  be  used  as a means to conduct surveillance upon any inmate, officer or
     4  employee of the department.
     5    3.  The  commissioner  shall  issue  a report within six months of the
     6  completion of the pilot program detailing the use of and evaluating  the
     7  effectiveness of personal video recording devices including what impact,
     8  if  any,  the use of body-worn personal cameras has on assaultive behav-
     9  iors, serious injury, death, and other indicators of increased  physical
    10  safety  of inmates, officers and personnel, and which shall also provide
    11  relevant recommendations.
    12    § 2. This act shall take effect six months after it shall have  become
    13  a law.