Q&A
Council Member Cabán questions Commissioner Strauber on DOI's access to NYPD surveillance data
0:45:40
·
3 min
Council Member Tiffany Cabán questions Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber about the Department of Investigation's access to NYPD surveillance technology data and past agreements to withhold information from the public. Strauber explains that while there were past issues, communication has improved, and the DOI generally receives requested materials from the NYPD.
- Strauber mentions one instance where they only received drone deployment records from the transit bureau, limiting their ability to assess all NYPD drone operations.
- Cabán inquires about a past agreement between multiple city agencies to hide special expense budget contracts, including surveillance contracts.
- Strauber is unaware of any current agreements to hide information from the public but agrees to look into the matter and follow up with more information.
Tiffany Cabán
0:45:40
Thank you the many chairs today.
0:45:43
So many of you.
0:45:45
Thank you for being here.
0:45:47
Thank you for the work that you do.
0:45:48
I have a couple of questions for you.
0:45:51
What materials has OIG, NYPD requested from the NYPD as part of OIG's postdoc responsibilities that the NYPD has not provided?
Jocelyn Strauber
0:46:02
You know, there's we actually have, at this point, a very good sort of communication system, and we generally get all of the materials that that we ask for.
0:46:11
That was not always the case.
0:46:12
We've worked hard I think over the last couple of years, and we now really do receive the materials that we ask for.
0:46:19
And when there are delays or other issues, we have an internal escalation process and a way of communicating with the department about that.
0:46:26
The one example that we mentioned in our drone report was we received records solely from the transit bureau about its drone deployments.
0:46:36
My understanding is that there are other divisions within the department that deploy drones.
0:46:41
And so we noted in our findings that we were not able to assess whether all of the PD's drone operations complied with the IUPs because we only had records relating to the transit bureau.
0:46:52
So that's example.
0:46:53
Now, I want to be clear though that we decided in the interest of time that we wanted to issue this report rather than spending additional time conferring with the department.
0:47:02
And and given the the track record of the work that we've done together, I I have no doubt that if we had had the time, we would have gotten the rest of the records, but we decided to move forward.
Tiffany Cabán
0:47:10
I mean, is a balance though between you wanna be make sure that you're complying, you get these records out, and they've got a responsibility to sort of get you that information in a certain amount of time.
0:47:19
But I I appreciate that there's improvement there.
0:47:22
Besides the drones, is there any other things that you
Jocelyn Strauber
0:47:26
There are no examples other than that one that I can think of.
0:47:28
And we obviously have the option, as we did here, of noting that in our reports if that is an issue.
0:47:34
It really has not
Tiffany Cabán
0:47:34
And if there is anything outside of you guys think of or outside of that if you could follow-up with the chair on that information.
0:47:41
Know we'd all love to hear that.
0:47:43
And then my other question is, so the NYPD, the DOI, the Comptroller, the Mayor's Office of Contract Services, the office of management and budget, and the law department all had an agreement to hide special expense expenses budget contracts, which includes a lot of the surveillance contracts.
0:48:02
And at the time, comptroller Stringer withdrew from that agreement after the post act passed.
0:48:07
And so I'm wondering whether you know if other agencies are still abiding by that agreement to keep this info from the public.
0:48:13
Is the DOI still part of that agreement?
0:48:16
Have any new agreements made since the the post act?
0:48:20
Those are yeah.
Jocelyn Strauber
0:48:21
Those are my questions.
0:48:21
Yeah.
0:48:22
No.
0:48:22
And I'm I'm not aware of any such agreement.
0:48:24
Actually, this predated me, so I'm sure I could do some research and try
Diana I. Ayala
0:48:26
to figure it out.
Jocelyn Strauber
0:48:27
I'm not aware that we're a party to any agreement that involves hiding information from the public, which would surprise me.
0:48:32
But I'm happy to look into that.
Tiffany Cabán
0:48:34
I mean, again, it definitely existed.
0:48:36
It was acknowledged by certain folks.
0:48:37
I appreciate
Jocelyn Strauber
0:48:38
that you're saying it predates me.
0:48:39
I don't doubt it.
0:48:39
I'm just not familiar with it.
Tiffany Cabán
0:48:41
If you could follow-up with that information as well, that would be great.
Jocelyn Strauber
0:48:45
Happy to do that.
Tiffany Cabán
0:48:46
Thank you and I will turn it back.