Statement of the PBA President opposing the acceleration of the body cam program

Huge Expenditure for Questionable Results

PBA president Patrick J. Lynch said: 

“It makes no sense to accelerate the program while there are so many unresolved issues regarding the use of body cams, including the very basic question of whether they actually produce a meaningful change in the interaction between police officers and civilians on the street. The largest, most rigorous study to date suggests they have no such effect. Meanwhile, jurisdictions across the country are confronting issues regarding due process, safety, and privacy of police officers and those who are the subject of captured footage, as well as a huge drain on municipal resources for unclear benefit. The NYC PBA has, in fact, filed suit against the NYPD and the City for the arbitrary and illegal release of body cam video.  It would be much more prudent to slow the roll out down while these difficult legal and practical issues are resolved.”