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NYPD Abysmally Slow To Film Interrogations As Promised
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 13, 2012
Modified Aug 13, 2012
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 13, 2012
Modified Aug 13, 2012
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In February of 2010 the NYPD announced that it would begin a pilot program to begin filming interrogations, like most police forces in New York State. In 2011 the department actually turned the cameras on in two of the city's 76 precincts. Today the WSJ reports that that number has risen to just five precincts. "It's extremely distressing that apparently the pilot never really got off the ground," the Legal Aid Society's attorney-in-chief, Steven Banks tells the paper. "Nevertheless, any expansion of the citywide initiative is a good thing, assuming it actually happens." But that would be a serious assumption, as the department has offered no proof that the filming has ever happened.
Per the report:
After more than a dozen requests over the course of a month, police and court officials were unable to provide the total number of fully recorded interrogations, the dispositions of those cases or a comparison of conviction rates.
Currently the only two precincts that videotape interrogations are in the Bronx and Brooklyn, but that the increase will mean that a single precinct in each borough will do so. The NYPD's top spokesman, Paul Browne, said that once this happens, "we'll have a better understanding of how it's working."
No case with a fully taped interrogation has entered the trial phase, but that may change in the case of Pedro Hernandez, who admitted to killing Etan Patz. Hernandez's 3.5 hour interrogation was recorded in New Jersey, where it is required by law for certain crimes.
"Anything that supports the integrity of a criminal confession and ensures justice is served should be thoroughly evaluated, which is what we intend through this pilot program," NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said in 2010.
But Michael Palladino, the president of the NYPD Detective Endowment Association, says, "I just think every time we show one of these things, it's going to be like an educational video for criminals, teaching them what to expect in an interrogation room and how to get around it." It's unclear whether Palladino is familiar with television.
Tagged
interrogations
law enforcement
nypd
paul browne
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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