“The video is not going to be utilized for every other motive,” the division mentioned
Social media erupted over the weekend after a video went viral of a New York Police Division officer recording followers as they left Drake’s first present on the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Now, the NYPD is offering extra context, claiming that an officer was recording followers to apply it to social media.
“The officer depicted within the video is a Neighborhood Affairs officer concerned with the twenty eighth Precinct’s social media group,” learn an announcement. “The officer was taking video for an upcoming Twitter submit that may spotlight area people occasions.”
“The video is not going to be utilized for every other motive,” the division added.
A New York Occasions reporter leaving the present recorded an officer as he filmed a video of these exiting the storied Harlem venue.
Nonetheless, privateness advocates — such because the Surveillance Know-how Oversight Venture in New York Metropolis — referred to as the officer’s actions “extremely regarding,” asking NYPD to destroy the content material.
“That is yet one more instance of NYPD’s racist use of surveillance expertise, following the division’s lengthy legacy of concentrating on rap live shows. We’re deeply involved facial recognition might have been concerned, and demand the division destroy any footage it took,” Will Owen of STOP advised Gothamist. “That is the most recent proof that town and state should ban its use at venues as soon as and for all.”
New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams, for his half, defended the police division’s resolution, describing it as a “artistic” manner of participating with the local people. “Thumbs as much as that nice captain,” Adams mentioned of Captain Tarik Sheppard, who heads the twenty eighth Precinct, per Gothamist. “And I encourage all of my commanding officers to be artistic on how we have interaction with our residents. That was a secure occasion.”
The response comes after New York lawmakers launched a brand new invoice to attempt to ban the usage of facial recognition to take away legal professionals litigating towards Madison Sq. Backyard at its occasions.