Concerns raised over police access to CCTV cameras
A city-funded program bringing free internet and cable to NYCHA complexes, is now being used to link CCTV cameras at some developments directly into the NYPD's citywide surveillance software system.
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Surveillance video can often be the key to cracking an unsolved crime, but should the NYPD have full access to CCTV cameras in public housing?
The question has prompted several City Council members to schedule an emergency meeting after a report by New York Focus found Big Apple Connect, a city-funded program bringing free internet and cable to NYCHA complexes, is now being used to link CCTV cameras at some developments directly into the NYPD's citywide surveillance software system.
"Who is collecting this data?" said City Council Member Chris Banks. "What are they using this data for? And basically, how they left the council out of this whole process."
Banks is the chair of the council's Committee on Public Housing.
He said he was notified the program, which aims to bridge the digital divide in public housing, could or would be used to increase police surveillance.
"This is crazy, we need to know what is going on," said Banks.
Banks and other City Council members wrote a letter to the Office of Technology and Innovation, the NYPD and NYCHA raising concerns of transparency and consent while calling for the immediate halt of access to CCTV cameras.
"It's about transparency. If you are not going to be transparent with a co-equal branch of government that represents 8 million residents, who you going to be transparent to?" questioned Banks.
NYCHA referred News 12 to the NYPD and the Office of Technology and Innovation for comment.
A spokesperson for OTI released a statement:
“Through the landmark Big Apple Connect program, we’re providing free high-speed internet access to 330,000 New Yorkers and more efficiently using existing top-notch security infrastructure to enhance safety in public housing. As we’ve stated publicly, the net increase of cameras related to Big Apple Connect is zero, and what law enforcement could see on pre-existing cameras before the program’s launch in 2022 is what law enforcement can see today. It’s wrong to label this as surveillance.”
A spokesperson for the NYPD said the department will be giving testimony at the upcoming City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. at City Hall.
