N.Y. cops sharply cut release of mug shots
ALBANY — New York State Police are no longer making mugshots public, going a step further than a new law passed as part of the state budget.
Troopers will only release booking photos if there is a “specific law enforcement purpose,” the agency said in a statement.
“For example, these photos could be released if the public can assist police in locating a wanted suspect, finding additional witnesses or victims, or developing new leads in an ongoing investigation,” they added.
Democratic lawmakers voted to amend the state’s Freedom of Information Law earlier in the week, closing booking photos, as they approved a policy-packed state spending bill.
Gov. Cuomo, who included a fat raise for himself in the budget, pushed for the ban in an effort to stop websites from posting arrest photos and demanding cash to take them down. The governor’s initial proposal went further, allowing law enforcement across the state to withhold all booking information, including names and charges.
News organizations and civil liberties groups were happy to see the language scaled back before the budget was passed, but argue that the law is still a blow to transparency.
“It still unduly restricts access to police department held records that are critical to oversight of police departments while doing very little to protect the privacy of those arrested,” Justin Harrison, an attorney with the New York Civil Liberties Union, told the Daily News.
Harrison added that the law does little to limit the nefarious use of mugshots by websites. “It’s an inaccurate fix,” he said.
Several upstate sheriffs told WGRZ they will continue to release mugshots with their press releases.
“I believe the public — and especially victims — demand transparency of the criminal justice system,” Niagara County Sheriff Jim Voutour said. “Therefore, I will continue to provide the same transparency we always have.”
The State Police argue that the law is only meant to protect privacy.
“The law is not designed to limit all access to these photos, but instead to protect the privacy rights of individuals,” the agency said.