The Deadline Club, together with several other press organizations under the umbrella of the New York Media Consortium, urged New York state lawmakers to support legislation that would guarantee press access to police radio transmissions if they become encrypted. The Consortium’s letter was issued as lawmakers prepared to return to Albany on June 4 for the home stretch of the 2025 legislative session.
Read the full letter below.
Now is the time for journalists and concerned citizens to make their voices heard. And we’ve set up a simple three-step process to help you do it.
How to Contact Your New York State Lawmakers
Step 1. Find your Assembly Member HERE and your State Senator HERE. In addition to emailing them, feel free to call them.
Step 2. Copy/paste the letters below into your email and address the relevant ones to your Assembly Member and State Senator.
— Be sure to place the Subject Line in its proper place
— Be sure to insert the lawmaker’s surname into the greeting.
— Be sure to print your name and address at the end so the lawmaker knows you’re a constituent. Feel free to add any relevant affiliations.
Step 3. Edit the letter as you wish, give your email a final look and let it fly.
LETTER TO YOUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER
SUBJECT: Police radios are a vital news source. Don’t let them go silent.
Dear Assembly Member [XXXXXXX],
The safety of New Yorkers is being endangered, and government transparency is being muddied as police agencies like the NYPD encrypt their radio transmissions, which the press has long relied on to alert the public to crimes and disasters in their neighborhoods.
The “Keep Police Radio Public Act” (S416/A3516) would ensure that residents stay connected to the vital news and information they need — when they need it — by giving professional journalists real-time access to the encrypted transmissions.
Some jurisdictions, like Las Vegas, already provide journalists with real-time access to their encrypted police radio broadcasts. New York should ensure that its police agencies do the same.
The bill has reached the floor of the Assembly and could be considered on Wednesday, June 4. All that is needed is for Speaker Carl Heastie and Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes to bring it to a vote.
I urge you to support this legislation and to call on Democratic leaders to put it to a vote on Wednesday.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
LETTER TO YOUR STATE SENATOR
SUBJECT: Police radios are a vital news source. Don’t let them go silent.
Dear Senator [XXXXXXX],
The safety of New Yorkers is being endangered, and government transparency is being muddied as police agencies like the NYPD encrypt their radio transmissions, which the press has long relied on to alert the public to crimes and disasters in their neighborhoods.
The “Keep Police Radio Public Act” (S416/A3516) would ensure that residents stay connected to the vital news and information they need — when they need it — by giving professional journalists real-time access to the encrypted transmissions.
Some jurisdictions, like Las Vegas, already provide journalists with real-time access to their encrypted police radio broadcasts. New York should ensure that its police agencies do the same.
The bill has reached the floor of the Senate and could be considered on Wednesday, June 4. All that is needed is for Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to bring it to a vote.
I urge you to support this legislation and to call on Democratic leaders to put it to a vote on Wednesday.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
BONUS
Reach out directly to Assembly and Senate leaders.
Urge them to bring the “Keep Police Radio Public Act” to a vote.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie
Telephone – (718) 654-6539 (Bronx)
Email – Speaker@nyassembly.gov
Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes
Telephone – (716) 897-9714 (Buffalo)
Email – PeopleC@nyassembly.gov
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Telephone – (914) 423-4031 (Yonkers)
Email – scousins@nysenate.gov
SAMPLE SCRIPT
“Hi. My name is XXXXX XXXXXXX. I’m a New Yorker and I’m calling to urge the SPEAKER//MAJORITY LEADER to support the “Keep Police Radio Public Act,” which is Assembly Bill A3516//Senate Bill S416, and bring it to a vote. We can’t let the press lose real-time access to police radio transmissions. Thank you.”
SAMPLE EMAIL
SUBJECT: Let members vote on the ‘Keep Police Radio Public Act’
Dear Assembly Speaker Heastie,
Dear Assembly Majority Leader Peoples-Stokes,
Dear Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins,
The access that the press has had to police radio transmissions in New York for the past 90 years has enabled journalists to quickly warn citizens of potential dangers, drown out misinformation and maintain transparency in police departments. But that access is being threatened as departments, including the NYPD, move to encrypt their transmissions.
The “Keep Police Radio Public Act” (S416 and A3516) would ensure that New Yorkers stay informed by providing professional journalists with access to encrypted broadcasts.
I hope you’ll support the bill and bring it to vote as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
NAME
ADDRESS
