<\/p>\n
Gov. Kathy Hochul<\/p>\n
Photo courtesy of Gov. Hochul\u2019s Office<\/p>\n
Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill on Friday night that would\u2019ve given credentialed news organizations access to encrypted police radios to provide the public with real-time breaking news state-wide.<\/p>\n
In a rejection memo, the governor remarked the bill to provide credentialed media with encrypted radio access, \u201cwhile a worthy goal for transparency, may not be technologically feasible.\u201d<\/p>\n
The veto came a day after the City Council approved a more detailed bill (Int. 1460-2025,) that instructs the NYPD to provide encrypted radio access to credentialed media. That bill awaits a decision by Mayor Eric Adams on whether to approve or veto the local law.<\/p>\n
Councilwoman Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan) vowed to reintroduce the bill in the next session should the mayor veto in his last days and then bring it to the new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, whom they believe is more likely to sign the bill.<\/p>\n
Bruce Cotler, president of the NY Press Photographers Association, whose members depend on police radio transmissions, said he is optimistic that a more modest proposal might win over the governor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are thinking about reintroducing something different that may be palatable with the governor and law enforcement,\u201d said Cotler. \u201cThere are options that we are exploring that could still maintain some transparency while preserving privacy and safety for officers \u2013 an important measure for all. We look forward to trying something different.\u201d<\/p>\n
In her veto memo, the governor cited various technical problems that make providing access to the press that merit \u201ccaution against a state-wide mandate.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cLocal emergency services agencies utilize different technologies that could significantly impact the ability of local government to implement the law in a way that would not jeopardize public safety,\u201d the memo claims. \u201cFor example, the bill would require local emergency services agencies to screen \u201csensitive information,\u201d a task that may not be technologically feasible. Further, the overly-narrow definition of \u2018sensitive information\u2019 excludes information that if indiscriminately broadcast in an unsecure manner, could lead loss of life or operational failure.\u201d<\/p>\n
The governor also cited \u201cgrowing threats of extremist violence\u201d by disclosing real-time movements to \u201cbloggers and paparazzi\u201d in addition to traditional journalists. She also claims the bill would reveal real-time undercover operations that might undermine investigations and the right of the accused to a fair trial, and reveal confidential sources, despite most private communications of information being transmitted by department-issued cell phones.<\/p>\n
She concluded that the bill would also cost the state \u201ctens of millions of dollars\u201d in infrastructure within \u201c90 days without having budgeted for it.\u201d <\/p>\n
The bill had passed both houses of the legislature, the Senate bill, (S.416), led by Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris (D-Queens) and the Assembly bill, (A.3516), sponsored by Assembly Member Karines Reyes, (D-Bronx). Despite the bill passing both democratically led conferences, Hochul could not support the bill.<\/p>\n
Reyes said \u201cwe had a feeling it would be vetoed when we didn\u2019t hear anything by Thursday.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI think it is unfortunate that the bill was vetoed \u2013 we were committed to crafting something that would make law enforcement comfortable and uphold transparency for public and media,\u201d Reyes said. \u201cWe are in a time where the public is becoming less and less trusting of government and law enforcement and this bill would actually help with the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hochul concluded her memo saying, \u201cWhile transparency is laudable, it should not come at the expense of public safety. Municipalities remain free to make their own decisions as to whether to prohibit police forces from encrypting radio transmissions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leaders from the New York Media Consortium, made up of 14 press organizations in New York State and nationally, were undeterred as they are considering modification to the bill that may be palatable to the governor for future support to maintain transparency and checks and balances of law enforcement.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, most say they are happy that a bill passed in New York City, where only one city-wide channel provides information, along with non-encrypted transit radio that cannot be encrypted because it doesn\u2019t work well in the subway system.<\/p>\n
Mickey Osterreicher, general counsel for the National Press Photographers Association, suggested there may be alternatives. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe City Council\u2019s passage of Int. 1460 demonstrates that transparency and public safety are not mutually exclusive, even as the Governor\u2019s veto of the statewide bill was a disappointing setback,\u201d he said. \u201cThat veto makes clear that any future state legislation may need to take a more incremental approach. Requiring every county to maintain at least one unencrypted channel for the real-time dissemination of major public safety incidents would restore a baseline level of transparency, allow journalists and the public to stay informed using affordable equipment, and address many of the concerns raised about sensitive information. While such an approach would not replace the fuller access journalists historically relied upon, it would be a meaningful step toward accountability, transparency, and protecting the public\u2019s right to know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lloyd Mitchell, a freelance photographer covering the streets of NYC, was saddened by the veto, but held up hope that something else may be done. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is paramount that journalists have access to at least one an important frequency that gives us important information for every police organization,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cIt will help us tell stories in a timely manner from Buffalo, Albany to the NYPD. It is critical that we work hand and hand with law enforcement and that they don\u2019t have full control of the narrative.\u201d<\/p>\n
Police radio chatter from a slew of Bronx precincts went dark Monday as the department\u2019s effort to encrypt communications reached a milestone that left local reporters and advocates concerned about the future of crime reporting in New York. (<\/span>Photo by Lloyd Mitchell)<\/span><\/p>\n The veto of the bill by Governor Hochul has sparked a debate about the balance between transparency and public safety. While the governor cited technical and safety concerns, lawmakers and press organizations are exploring alternative solutions to maintain transparency and checks and balances of law enforcement.<\/p>\n Q: What was the bill vetoed by Governor Hochul about? Introduction to the Veto Gov. Kathy Hochul Photo courtesy of Gov. Hochul\u2019s Office Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill on Friday night that would\u2019ve given credentialed news organizations access to encrypted police radios to provide the public with real-time breaking news state-wide. In a rejection memo, the governor remarked the bill to provide credentialed media […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":26871,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-26869","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-crime-reports"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.amny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54934524249_5ff93d1d07_k.jpg?quality=51&w=384&w=384&resize=384,255&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26869"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26869"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26872,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26869\/revisions\/26872"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Conclusion<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
\nA: The bill would have given credentialed news organizations access to encrypted police radios to provide the public with real-time breaking news state-wide.
\nQ: Why did Governor Hochul veto the bill?
\nA: The governor cited technical problems, safety concerns, and financial costs as reasons for the veto.
\nQ: What are the implications of the veto for journalists and the public?
\nA: The veto may limit the ability of journalists to access important information and report on crime and public safety incidents in a timely manner.
\nQ: Are there alternative solutions being explored?
\nA: Yes, lawmakers and press organizations are considering modifications to the bill and alternative approaches to maintain transparency and checks and balances of law enforcement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"