S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6686--A
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             September 4, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. PARKER, COMRIE, JACKSON, KRUEGER, LIU, MONTGOMERY,
   MYRIE, SALAZAR, SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and  when
   printed  to  be  committed to the Committee on Rules -- recommitted to
   the Committee on Finance in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec.  8  --
   committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
   recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to the use  of  body-worn
   cameras by New York state police officers
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "New York state police body-worn cameras program".
   §  2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 234 to read
 as follows:
   § 234. NEW YORK STATE POLICE BODY-WORN CAMERAS PROGRAM. 1.   THERE  IS
 HEREBY  CREATED  WITHIN  THE  DIVISION  OF STATE POLICE A NEW YORK STATE
 POLICE BODY-WORN CAMERAS PROGRAM. THE  PURPOSE  OF  THE  PROGRAM  IS  TO
 INCREASE  ACCOUNTABILITY  AND EVIDENCE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE RESI-
 DENTS OF THE STATE BY PROVIDING BODY-WORN CAMERAS TO  ALL  STATE  POLICE
 OFFICERS  WHILE  ON  PATROL,  INCLUDING  THE  NEW  YORK STATE UNIVERSITY
 POLICE.
   2. THE DIVISION OF STATE POLICE SHALL PROVIDE BODY-WORN CAMERAS, TO BE
 WORN BY OFFICERS AT ALL TIMES, WHILE ON  PATROL.    SUCH  CAMERAS  SHALL
 RECORD:
   (A)  IMMEDIATELY  BEFORE AN OFFICER EXITS A PATROL VEHICLE TO INTERACT
 WITH A PERSON OR SITUATION, EVEN IF THERE IS A DASH CAMERA  INSIDE  SUCH
 VEHICLE WHICH MIGHT ALSO BE RECORDING THE INTERACTION;
   (B)  ALL USES OF FORCE, INCLUDING ANY PHYSICAL AGGRESSION AND USE OF A
 NON-LETHAL OR LETHAL WEAPON;
   (C) ALL ARRESTS AND SUMMONSES;
   (D) ALL INTERACTIONS WITH PEOPLE SUSPECTED OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY;
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              
             
                          
                                                                            LBD13695-02-0
 S. 6686--A                          2
 
   (E) ALL SEARCHES OF PERSONS AND PROPERTY;
   (F) ANY CALL TO A CRIME IN PROGRESS;
   (G) INVESTIGATIVE ACTIONS WHERE THERE ARE INTERACTIONS WITH MEMBERS OF
 THE PUBLIC;
   (H) ANY INTERACTION WITH AN EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED PERSON; AND
   (I)  ANY INSTANCES WHERE OFFICERS FEEL ANY IMMINENT DANGER OR THE NEED
 TO DOCUMENT THEIR TIME ON DUTY.
   3. THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF THE  DIVISION  OF  STATE  POLICE
 SHALL  INVESTIGATE  ANY  INSTANCE  WHERE  BODY CAMERAS FAIL TO RECORD AN
 EVENT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   4. AT THE DISCRETION OF THE OFFICER, BODY-WORN CAMERAS MAY NOT RECORD:
   (A) SENSITIVE ENCOUNTERS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPEAKING WITH A
 CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT, OR CONDUCTING A STRIP SEARCH;
   (B) WHEN A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC ASKS SUCH  OFFICER  TO  TURN  OFF  THE
 CAMERA;  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, SUCH OFFICER MAY CONTINUE RECORDING IF HE OR
 SHE THINKS A RECORD OF THAT INTERACTION SHOULD BE GENERATED; OR
   (C) WHEN THE OFFICER IS  IN  A  COURTROOM  OR  REPORTING  TO  A  COURT
 SUMMONS.
   5.  (A) THE DIVISION OF STATE POLICE SHALL PRESERVE RECORDINGS OF SUCH
 BODY-WORN CAMERAS FOR THREE YEARS FROM THE DATE OF  SUCH  RECORDING  AND
 PERFORM  ALL  UPKEEP  ON  EQUIPMENT USED IN SUCH BODY-WORN CAMERAS. SUCH
 DUTIES SHALL INCLUDE:
   (I) CREATING A SECURE RECORD OF ALL INSTANCES WHERE THERE IS  RECORDED
 VIDEO OR AUDIO FOOTAGE;
   (II)  ENSURING  OFFICERS  HAVE  SUFFICIENT  STORAGE  CAPACITY ON THEIR
 CAMERAS TO ALLOW FOR THE RECORDING  OF  INTERACTIONS  REQUIRED  BY  THIS
 SECTION; AND
   (III)  ENSURING  OFFICERS  HAVE  ACCESS  TO  BODY-WORN CAMERAS FOR THE
 RECORDING OF INSTANCES REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION.
   (B) RECORDINGS SHALL BE STORED FOR LONGER  THAN  THREE  YEARS  IF  THE
 VIDEO OR AUDIO FOOTAGE IS EVIDENCE IN ANY EXISTING INVESTIGATION.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.