NYPD to end its $ecrecy

THE SECRECY that has shrouded the names of the NYPD’s vendors for nearly nine years will soon vanish, the Daily News has learned.

The News reported in February that vendors’ names for NYPD contracts worth nearly $390 million were withheld on the controller’s Checkbook 2.0 database that details city spending.

The vendors’ names were hidden in 2010 when the database went online after an agreement between the city’s then-controller, John Liu, and then-Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly (photo left).

Kelly was apparently concerned about the sensitivity of the information in the post-9/11 world.

The practice continued into the tenures of Controller Scott Stringer, former Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and the current top cop, James O’Neill (photo right).

As a result, all the vendors’ names were listed as “privacy/security N/A (not available)” for more than 438,000 expenditures since January 2010.

That included routine expenditures like toilet paper and uniforms and a $3.88 check to a veterinarian who cared for Mentos, a police dog.

There were 49,923 purchases for motor vehicle fuel, 63,725 for automotive supplies, 42,301 for general supplies and materials, 5,568 for overnight travel expenses, 2,550 for books, 1,515 for cleaning services, 1,278 for postage, 845 for advertising and 305 for cleaning supplies.

The controller’s office had said the names would be revealed by the end of 2017.

Now, the website has been updated, and will go live, following a meeting with the NYPD in the first week of January.

“Sunlight matters. We all share the belief that nonsensitive contracts should be made public,” Stringer said.

“That’s why our agreement with the NYPD is a win for transparency. During this deliberate but necessary process, we’ve partnered constructively with the NYPD. I want to thank Commissioner O’Neill for working with us to make this a reality — it’s the right thing to do.”

The “vast majority” of transactions will be viewable by the public and uploaded daily, a city official said.

“In rare circumstances, the NYPD may advise us that posting full details of a contract could raise a security concern,” the official said. “When such a situation arises, we will not make full contract details available.”

The NYPD declined comment.