Criminal Justice (Policing)

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 5823: Creates a temporary state commission relating to local correctional facilities in upstate New York

Creates a temporary state commission relating to local correctional facilities in upstate New York; provides commission study shall place emphasis on medical and mental health care, overcrowding, incarcerated individual deaths, use of force, restraints, and all segregation and confinement practices and solitary confinement.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates commission study of correctional facility issues including mental health care, overcrowding, and solitary confinement - core criminal justice reform priorities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Policing

Track

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 3619: Relates to granting the attorney general jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute police misconduct

This bill grants the state attorney general direct authority to investigate and prosecute police misconduct, including incidents occurring both on and off duty. It requires such cases to be handled in courts outside the county where the alleged misconduct occurred, limiting local prosecutors to following the attorney general's direction. The county where the incident happened must cover all costs for the attorney general's office, including staff salaries. This directly affects police officers under investigation, local district attorneys, and county budgets.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeGrants AG authority to investigate police misconduct, centralizing oversight and enhancing accountability - directly aligns with criminal justice reform indicators like improved police accountability.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 5374: Relates to the classification of certain crimes relating to assaults on police officers

S 5374 amends New York's penal law to increase the felony classification for assaults targeting specific public safety personnel. It raises assault on police officers from a class D to a class C felony under Section 120.05, elevates assault on peace officers to a class B felony (from class C) under Section 120.08, and upgrades aggravated assault on police to a class A felony (from class B) under Section 120.11. These changes directly affect individuals convicted of assaulting police officers, firefighters, or emergency medical personnel. The bill makes the penalties for these specific crimes more severe by moving them to higher felony classifications. The legislation takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill increases felony classifications for assaults on police officers, raising penalties from lower to higher felony classes, directly increasing mandatory sentences.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing Violent Crime

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 3926: Relates to the discoverability of recordings found on police body worn cameras and vehicle cameras

S 3926 requires full disclosure of all recordings from police body cameras and vehicle cameras in criminal cases, including outtakes and unused portions, rather than just footage the prosecution plans to use. It directly affects prosecutors, defendants, and courts in criminal proceedings involving police video evidence. The bill mandates that prosecutors disclose all such recordings unless exempt under public officers law, with a limited exception: if materials exceed 10 hours, prosecutors may initially disclose only trial-relevant footage plus a summary, but must provide additional requested recordings within 15 days. This changes current disclosure practices to increase transparency around police-captured video evidence.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates full disclosure of police body camera footage, enhancing transparency and accountability in criminal proceedings per bill's core requirement.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 1972: Relates to criminalizing the filming of the commission of a violent felony

This bill would make it a class E felony to intentionally film someone committing a violent felony with the goal of encouraging more such crimes, or to conspire with others to do so. It directly affects individuals who record violent crimes (like assaults or robberies) with the specific intent to promote those acts. The law includes a key exception: turning the recorded video over to police immediately could be used as evidence that the person lacked the intent to encourage the crime. The bill defines "violent felony" using existing legal terms and would take effect in November 2025 if passed.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by creating a new felony for filming violent crimes with intent to encourage such acts, contradicting reform indicators like reducing unnecessary criminalization.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing Violent Crime

Track

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 3132: Increases the designation of certain offenses relating to unlawfully fleeing a police officer and makes such offenses eligible for bail

This bill lowers the felony classification for certain vehicle-related police fleeing offenses (from class A to E, E to D, and D to C felonies) and adds these charges to the list of offenses eligible for bail. It directly affects individuals charged with fleeing police in a motor vehicle, specifically those facing third-degree (least severe), second-degree, or first-degree charges. The key change amends bail eligibility rules in the criminal procedure law, allowing courts to grant release on recognizance or under non-monetary conditions for these offenses - provided the prosecution shows reasonable cause and the court finds any related theft negligible. This adjustment modifies how courts handle pretrial release for these specific charges.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeLowers felony classifications for fleeing police offenses and enables bail eligibility, reducing pretrial detention and aligning with criminal justice reform goals of less punitive sentencing.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Policing

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 3633: Requires the use of body-worn cameras on certain correction officers

S 3633 requires correction officers supervising general population inmates at maximum security facilities to wear body-worn cameras during duty hours, recording all audio and video interactions with incarcerated individuals. The law mandates that recordings be stored for at least six months, with specific standards for equipment and privacy protections to prevent misuse as surveillance. The commissioner must issue an initial report within one year and annual updates evaluating the cameras' impact on safety metrics like assaults, injuries, and deaths. This bill directly affects correction officers and incarcerated individuals at designated facilities, focusing on transparency in officer-inmate interactions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates body cameras for correction officers to enhance accountability and transparency in inmate interactions, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Policing

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 1254: Makes life imprisonment without parole mandatory for defendants convicted of murder in the first degree and the victim is a police officer

This bill mandates life imprisonment without parole for anyone convicted of first-degree murder when the victim was a police officer. It directly affects defendants found guilty of killing law enforcement officers in the line of duty. The key provision amends sentencing laws to make life without parole the required sentence in these specific cases, removing judicial discretion. This change applies only to first-degree murder convictions where the victim was a police officer, not to other murder cases.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill mandates life without parole for murder of police officers, removing judicial discretion and increasing mandatory sentences, opposing criminal justice reform by restricting defendant rights.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing Probation & Parole Sentencing

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 1079: Requires intervention in incidents involving incarcerated individuals

Requires every police officer, peace officer and employee of a correctional facility to intervene in incidents of violence involving incarcerated individuals.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires intervention in prison violence, promoting safety and accountability in correctional facilities, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Policing

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 7180: Requires the state's model law enforcement use of force policy to conform to standards promulgated by the United Nations

Requires the state's model law enforcement use of force policy to conform to the United Nations basic principles on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials and the United Nations code of conduct for law enforcement officials.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates alignment with UN use of force standards, enhancing police accountability and civil rights protections in law enforcement policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms Law Enforcement Policing

Track