Q&A
Data retention policies for surveillance technologies
1:03:51
ยท
69 sec
Council Member Yusef Salaam questions the NYPD's data retention policies for various types of surveillance data. Deputy Commissioner Michael Gerber explains the varying retention periods and access protocols.
- Retention periods vary by surveillance technology and are detailed in each technology's Impact and Use Policy (IUP)
- Some technologies don't record data, while others have specific storage periods
- Data that becomes part of a criminal case file has different retention rules, which are statutory and outlined in the IUPs
- Retention policies consider both the specific technology and potential involvement in criminal cases
Yusef Salaam
1:03:51
How long does the NYPD return audio, video, biometric, and geolocation data collected by each of these technologies?
1:03:59
And who has access to this data?
Michael Gerber
1:04:01
Right.
1:04:02
So the answer to that in terms of the retention period is going to vary by surveillance technology.
1:04:08
And this is addressed in our IUPs.
1:04:11
There are some surveillance technologies where nothing's recorded at all.
1:04:14
Right?
1:04:15
So there's no retention.
1:04:16
There's no retention policy because there's no retention.
1:04:19
And then some surveillance technologies data is stored.
1:04:23
And then how long it's stored for will vary.
1:04:27
Obviously if something becomes part of a criminal case file, there are very specific rules, which are laid out in our IUPs, about the rules for data retention in connection with different types of criminal cases.
1:04:41
So really there are really two things.
1:04:42
There's one is sort of the retention policy with regard to a particular surveillance technology and again that varies and is disclosed in the IUPs.
1:04:50
And then separately if it becomes part of a criminal case then there are other rules about how long data is maintained in a criminal case That's statutory in nature and that's again laid out in the IU piece.