Cost on cop spy tech to be revealed

Police spending on surveillance technology — now a secret — will have to be made public, city Comptroller Scott Stringer said Thursday.

Stringer’s move — the latest in string of reforms and actions to increase NYPD transparency — applies to a big chunk of the $159 million listed as classified “special expenses” in the department’s budget.

In a letter sent to Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, Stringer said the practice, which dates to 2007, allowed the NYPD “to bypass certain procurement processes and oversight measures when it comes to purchasing surveillance and other equipment.”

The memorandum of understanding with city officials that lets the information remain secret will end Aug. 27, Stringer said.

The letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Daily News, explains the move as a natural extension of the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act, which was signed into law earlier this month by the mayor. The new law requires the NYPD to disclose how it uses technology to keep watch on New Yorkers and how it protects the information collected.

The NYPD has pushed back hard at the POST Act, calling it a threat to the safety of undercover officers involved in intelligence gathering and counterterrorism.

Stringer said in the letter that he realizes certain police activities require confidentiality but that there needs to be “new processes that maximize transparency and accountability.”