NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Sunday, March 29, 2015, 12:47 PM
Jeff Bachner/for New York Daily NewsDan Garodnick plans to introduce the bill this week, which would require the NYPD to publish its patrol guide online. “People deserve to understand what the rules are governing police officers,” said Garodnick.
A new City Council bill would require the NYPD to publish its official patrol guide on its website.
Councilman Dan Garodnick (D-Manhattan) plans to introduce the legislation this week to require public posting of the guide — which contains reams of rules governing officers' behavior, from the prohibition on using chokeholds to procedures for carrying out a stop and frisk.
Garodnick said being able to access the document would make it easier for New Yorkers to judge whether cops are acting appropriately, and prevent misunderstandings.
"People have a lot of views about the NYPD. Sometimes it's based in fact, and sometimes it's not," he said. "Publishing this helps to clear up a lot of confusion."
Garodnick said he got the idea when a constituent called inquiring about patrol rules. He assumed the guide would be easy to find, but it wasn't.
© Gary Hershorn / Reuters/REUTERSThe patrol guide — which is currently very difficult for citizens to get a copy of — contains details on rules governing officers’ behavior, including stop and frisk procedures and the prohibition on chokeholds.
Chunks of the document have been published on private websites, but they may be inaccurate or out of date. Old copies of the guide have also showed up for sale in private NYPD supply stores for as much as $55.
"People deserve to understand what the rules are governing police officers," Garodnick said. "This shouldn't be shrouded in secrecy."
The bill would allow the police commissioner to redact certain sensitive information if it could jeopardize officers safety or compromise investigations.
An NYPD spokeswoman said the department would review the proposal.
