A bill backed by the Deadline Club and its press-rights allies that would ensure that journalists maintain access to police radio transmissions has reached the desk of New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and she has until the end of the month to sign it into law.
Several newspapers across New York State have urged Hochul to sign the bill, including the New York Daily News.
You can urge her to sign the bill right HERE.
The Keep Police Radio Public Act, passed by the State Legislature in June, comes as the NYPD has gradually encrypted transmissions from most of its precincts over the past 30 months, ending some 90 years of access to the press and the public.
Police radio chatter has been a vital source of news tips that enable news organizations to quickly alert readers, listeners and viewers dangerous situations in their neighborhoods, such as shootings, accidents and natural disasters.
Time is of the essence. Hochul has until the end of the year to act on the bill.
Please take a couple of minutes right now to urge Hochul to sign it. Here are some suggestions:
— For “Topic,” select “Legislation.”
— For “Subject,” enter “Keep Police Radio Public Act”
— For “Message,” enter something like: “To ensure that the press can continue to do its job of covering the police, holding them accountable and alerting the public to potentially dangerous situations that may be happening in their neighborhoods, I urge you to sign the Keep Police Radio Public Act.”
This bill, once signed into law, would allow journalists, including photographers and broadcasters, to maintain real-time access to radio transmissions in the state.
The “Keep Police Radio Public Act,” was sponsored by Senator Mike Gianaris and Assembly Member Karines Reyes. The Deadline Club and several other press groups that make up the New York Media Consortium urged lawmakers to vote in favor of the bills.
But we need your help. Now is the time for journalists and concerned citizens to make their voices heard. Contact Gov. Hochul and urge her to sign the bill into law.
