Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act Impact and Use Policies

The Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act requires the NYPD to publish impact and use policies for the surveillance technologies used by the Department. The NYPD is committed to increasing transparency related to the use of surveillance technology within the bounds of responsive, efficient, and effective policing. The final impact and use policies developed by the Department work to find a fair balance between the benefits provided through the use of technology, individual privacy protections, and the comments and requests submitted by the public.

The impact and use policies provide details of: 1) the capabilities of the Department’s surveillance technologies, 2) the rules regulating the use of the technologies, 3) protections against unauthorized access of the technologies or related data, 4) surveillance technologies data retention policies, 5) public access to surveillance technologies data, 6) external entity access to surveillance technologies data, 7) Department trainings in the use of surveillance technologies, 8) internal audit and oversight mechanisms of surveillance technologies, 9) health and safety reporting on the surveillance technologies, and 10) potential disparate impacts of the impact and use policies for surveillance technologies.

Draft impact and use policies for existing surveillance technologies were posted for public comment on the Department’s website on January 11, 2021 and available for public comment for forty-five (45) calendar days. At the end of the 45-day period, the feedback was collected and recommendations for draft policies revisions were considered. In light of the submissions, the Department strengthened the impact and use policies in several ways, such as: adding information relating to surveillance technology capabilities and rules of use, clarifying court authorization requirements, and further explaining retention policies and procedures. The final impact and use policies for these surveillance technologies were published publicly and submitted to the Mayor and City Council Speaker on April 11, 2021.

For newly acquired technologies, the Department will propose a draft impact and use policy on this website at least 90 days prior to such use. The Department will also provide addendums to impact and use policies where enhancements are acquired for a specific technology or the technology is used in a manner not previously disclosed

The Department encourages the public to review these final policies.

Draft Impact and Use Policies Available for Public Comment

Impact and Use Policies