The New York Post and 13 other news organizations are asking a Manhattan judge to keep open the public’s access to NYPD body-cam footage after the police union sued the city to keep the recordings private.
“Because body-worn camera footage and other recordings provide an objective, first-hand account of police interactions with citizens, they can be particularly valuable sources of information for members of the press when reporting on matters of public concern,” the media outlets argue in a new Manhattan Supreme Court filing.
In January , the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association sued the mayor and the NYPD claiming they were breaking the law by releasing body-cam footage without getting a court order first.
The union claims the state’s Civil Rights Law 50-A bars the public airing of the recordings because they are part of officers’ personnel records, which are exempt form disclosure.
City officials disagreed, arguing that while the original, uncut footage is part of an officer’s personnel record, redacted copies released to the public are not. Read more…