Police and some NYCHA tenants are defending new technology that allows the NYPD instant access to public housing security cameras, while others fear it could be misused.
Some law enforcement sources spoke out ahead of a City Council oversight hearing on Sept. 30 examining how the NYPD is accessing video cameras posted around NYCHA complexes through a program called Apple Connect. While Apple Connect provides NYCHA residents with free internet, some are concerned that authorities are also using it to directly access surveillance footage.
“Recent reports revealed the NYPD is linking NYCHA CCTV feeds to the NYPD using City-funded Big Apple Connect infrastructure, without transparency or clear oversight,” Brooklyn City Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez said in a social media post.
Cops oppose this narrative by charging that the tech could mean the difference between life and death and the ability to quickly apprehend a dangerous suspect.
One police source pointed to a recent shooting that took place at Morrisania Houses in the Bronx on Sept. 26 as an example of an archaic system that hinders swift investigations.
At around 10:47 p.m. that evening, police received a 911 call of a shooting behind 1285 Washington Ave. Upon arrival, officers discovered a 17-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the hip and lower spine.
Cops said he was uncooperative with the police, and no one apparently witnessed the incident. At the scene, officers recovered two shell casings and a bullet fragment behind the building in the playground area.
Cops say that fast access to surveillance cameras at both 1285 Washington Ave. and 450 East 169 St. would have been crucial for developing a description of a person of interest, while also allowing officers to respond accordingly. Instead, police say detectives had to contact CCTV through an emergency line but were ultimately unable to gain access until the following morning.
“I believe cameras are important in NYCHA developments because they provide safety, accountability, and peace of mind for families who deserve to feel secure in their homes,” said Deborah Aviles, Mott Haven Tenant Association President, said.
According to a report from NY Focus, NYPD has already connected one NYCHA complex and plans to connect about 20 more before the end of 2025. Critics of the use say they find the lack of transparency concerning, stating that the real-time usage was not made publicly known until after news reports.
Testimony from NYPD Inspector Anthony Masciais, who is expected to give it at the oversight hearing, was provided to amNewYork ahead of the meeting. Masciais defends the police use of the cameras by stating that it solves a decades-old issue.
“Historically, detectives conducting investigations on NYCHA property have had to physically retrieve video footage from a NYCHA office, during business hours, on a DVD or thumb drive. NYCHA does maintain an emergency access unit for obtaining video footage after-hours, but even in the best of circumstances, this process is time-intensive and laborious. It slows our detectives down,” part of Masciais’ statement read. “Direct camera access solves this problem.”
