Buffalo P.D.

Reporters should generally request BWC footage in New York by filing a FOIL request with the police agency that controls the video (give the incident date/time, location, precinct, and officer/badge info if available). Agencies must acknowledge requests within five business days and typically must produce records within 20 business days of that acknowledgement or provide a written extension with a date‑certain. Agencies may redact or withhold footage for recognized FOIL exemptions (privacy, ongoing investigations, sealed criminal records—CPL 160.50), and large departments often delay production; internal FOIL appeal and Article 78 court challenges are common ways to obtain disputed footage. If the incident is under the State AG’s OSI jurisdiction (e.g., a police‑involved death), OSI has a public release directive and seeks to release footage in a timely way (with possible redactions and preferential notice to family). ([dos.ny.gov](https://dos.ny.gov/article-6-sections-84-90-nys-public-officers-law?utm_source=openai))