NYPD, The POST Act, and Surveillance Technology
Thanks to the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technologies (POST) Act passed by the NYC City Council last June 2020 in the wake of nationwide protests for racial justice and against police brutality, the NYPD was required to publish impact and use policies for all 36 existing surveillance technologies in use by the department.
“What Do We Think of NYPD’s Use of Surveillance Technology?“
A public commenting period of 45 days extended from January 12 through February 25, after which time the NYPD has until April 11, 2021 to review, respond to, and make any revisions to the draft policies before publishing a final version of the policies.
NYPD Surveillance Technology Explainer (r) [PDF]
Eisenberg & Baum, LLP responded to the NYPD’s draft policies on the use and impact of surveillance technology by hosting public forums to share knowledge, inspire civic discussion, and gather public comments.
“NYPD Use of Surveillance Technology Tools: Submitting Public Comments“
More than 90 participants joined to share insights, thoughts, questions, and concerns about the NYPD’s use of surveillance technology tools, amplifying our voices through forums hosted by Eisenberg & Baum, moderated by Juyoun Han (Partner, A.I. Fairness & Data Privacy Department), and comprised of Q&A sessions of ten expert panelists representing technologists, attorneys, criminologists, artists, and civic organizations.
“Eisenberg & Baum’s Final Report: Public Comments on NYPD Surveillance Technology“
We compiled the public comments collectively gathered from both forums and the Google form, and submitted a comprehensive report of public comments gathered from these forums on February 25th, the deadline mandated by the POST Act.
Here is the final report that Eisenberg & Baum, LLP submitted to the NYPD on February 25, 2021:
Download our final report and check back for updates and developments on the NYPD’s policies on the use and impact of surveillance technology tools, due to be finalized and released by April 11, 2021.
