Forensics in NY State: Police fail to pursue rape testing regulations

Image result for broken windows enforcement

They must be doing  ‘broken windows’ surveillance instead.

A recent NY Division of Criminal Justice Services report shows that 220 of 586 police and prosecutorial agencies have missed a February reporting deadline for providing information about untested sexual assault evidence kit (USA Today)

Speaking more of police surveillance………….

The NYC City Council has introduced a new bill that would require the NYPD to issue public reports on any surveillance technology used, including “the description and capabilities, rules, processes and guidelines, and any safeguards and security measures designed to protect the information collected.” The NY Daily News notes: “The legislation would require police officials to fill the public in on tech like Stingrays, which track cell phone locations, license plate readers, X-ray vans that use radiation to see through walls and vehicles, and ShotSpotter, which detects gunshots.”

According to The Intercept, the bill (named the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology or POST) would force the NYPD “to say how it protects the gathered surveillance data itself (for example, X-ray imagery, or individuals captured in a facial recognition scan), and whether or not this data is shared with other governmental organizations. A period of public comment would follow these disclosures.”

The New York Civil Liberties Union has issued a statement in response to the bill’s introduction, saying: “Public awareness of how the NYPD conducts intrusive surveillance, especially the impacts on vulnerable New Yorkers, is critical to democracy. For too long the NYPD has been using technology that spies on cellphones, sees through buildings and follows your car under a shroud of secrecy, and the bill is a significant step out of the dark ages.”

Thanks to the NY Legal Aid Society @CeliaGivens

About csidds

Dr. Michael Bowers is a long time forensic consultant in the US and international court systems.
This entry was posted in Crime lab scandal, criminal justice reform and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

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