New York City Comptroller Brad Lander’s latest audit found that the New York City Police Department has fallen far short in complying with Freedom Of Information Law requests (FOIL) for body-worn camera footage, exposing deep gaps in transparency and accountability.
The audit reviewed how the department handles footage from the body cameras all patrol officers have been required to wear since 2019, a measure originally introduced to improve transparency, provide critical evidence, plus reduce excessive force and unlawful stops.
According to the findings, the NYPD failed to respond to 85% of FOIL requests within the legally required 25 business days. Of more than 5,400 requests analyzed, 4,591 were delayed, with some taking more than two years to resolve…