New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly announced last week that the department will begin a policy of videotaping custodial interrogations in murder, serious sex crimes, and felony assault cases. This comes after the New York State Legislature failed to pass legislation requiring videotaping statewide, as recommended by a task force created by Jonathan Lippman, Chief Judge of the Court of New York. The New York Times praised the initiative in an editorial yesterday (here).
Commissioner Kelly noted a benefit that is becoming a factor for professionals in the criminal justice system, namely, that videotaping interrogations can “enhance public confidence in the criminal justice system by increasing transparency as to what was said and done.”
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