Joint Statement of Mayor de Blasio and Public Advocate James on the Police Department's Launch of the Body Camera Pilot Program

September 4, 2014

NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio and Public Advocate Letitia James today issued the following statement after Police Commissioner Bill Bratton’s announcement to equip 60 New York Police Department officers in five different precincts and one police service area with body cameras as part of a pilot program to test the technology. This announcement follows an order by a federal judge to test the program for one year, as part of a settlement with the City of New York over the misuse of stop-and-frisk.

“This pilot program will provide transparency, accountability, and protection for both the police officers and those they serve, while reducing financial losses for the city. New York City will do everything it takes to stay the safest big city in the nation. This means testing new methods and staying ahead of the curve on emerging technologies like body cameras. While we have yet to work out many specifics—such as data storage and confidentiality—our offices look forward to working together with the police department to ensure this promising pilot program is the right fit for our City and makes every New Yorker safer.”