QUESTION
What Recent Steps Have Improved Fairness and Impartiality in NYPD Investigations?
0:39:06
·
100 sec
Council Member Ariola inquires about recent measures the NYPD has implemented to enhance fairness and impartiality in criminal investigations. The response highlights the initiation of video interrogations as a significant step, starting with a pilot program in 2010 and expanding citywide by 2012, well ahead of the 2017 mandate. This initiative is framed as part of a broader approach that includes lineups, photo arrays, forensic work, and technological advancements to ensure a comprehensive and evidence-driven investigation process. The discussion concludes with an acknowledgment of the NYPD’s efforts despite intense scrutiny and the comparative rarity of wrongful convictions.
Joann Ariola
0:39:06
So are there any other steps that in recent years that you've taken to improve fairness and impartiality, and what were these steps?
Joseph Kenny
0:39:16
Well, besides the double blind on the, you know, on the the photo rays themselves.
0:39:22
In in 2010, police commissioner Ray Kelly began a a pilot program to where we would begin doing video interrogations.
0:39:28
It was being utilized in 2 squads, city wide.
0:39:32
Based on that pilot program, we went city wide with that in 2012.
0:39:37
As you know, we weren't mandated to do this until 2017.
0:39:41
So we were actually almost 7 years ahead of the curb.
0:39:44
In putting together our interrogate make ensuring that our interrogations were were videotaped.
0:39:50
But this is just one piece of the puzzle, you know, the lineups, the photo arrays, The other work that we do forensically, the utilization of technology, the utilization of video canvases, kind of puts the whole thing together.
0:40:02
We don't rely typically just on one aspect.
0:40:05
You know, the district attorney's offices have raised the bar of obtaining probable cause to be so high.
0:40:11
We we don't just rely on one aspect.
0:40:13
Expect of a of a piece of evidence.
0:40:15
We look for multiple pieces of evidence that will come during a video canvas to go to tie into the interrogation, to tie into the photo or a or the lineup.
Joann Ariola
0:40:24
So I just wanna end with saying thank you because because you still do your job even though you were under such scrutiny, and you still do your job and you do it well.
0:40:34
And the the level of convictions that you have of people who are wrong are wrongfully convicted are much less than those who were rightfully convicted.
0:40:44
Thank you for what you do every day to keep us safe.