Int. No. 1157
By Council Member Wong
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to restricting the use of police department personnel and resources for precinct community council administration
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 14 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 14-199.4 to read as follows:
§ 14-199.4 Interaction with precinct community councils. a. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
Command. The term “command” means a precinct, housing police service area, transit district, or other similar operational unit under the direct authority of a commanding officer of the department.
Department facility. The term “department facility” means any real property, or portion thereof, leased or owned by the city over which the department has operational control.
Official recognition. The term “official recognition” means designation of a precinct community council by the commissioner as the exclusive community advisory or liaison body representing a specific command, including but not limited to authorizing the use of the department’s name, logo, insignia, or any department facility and mandating participation by department personnel in any precinct community council meeting.
Precinct community council. The term “precinct community council” means a group of individuals, whether incorporated or unincorporated, that is constituted as a community advisory or liaison body representing a specific command.
b. Restrictions regarding department personnel and resources. 1. Department personnel, while on duty or acting in an official capacity: (i) shall participate in precinct community council affairs solely as advisory participants who provide public safety updates and answer community inquiries; and (ii) are explicitly prohibited from determining precinct community council meeting logistics and approving precinct community council communications.
2. No department personnel, while on duty or acting in an official capacity, shall, concerning the internal elections of a precinct community council, participate as a voter, administer votes, tabulate ballots, or otherwise manage such elections.
3. No department personnel, while on duty or acting in an official capacity, shall manage, maintain, store, or retain custody of materials, whether physical or digital, concerning the internal affairs of a precinct community council, including a precinct community council’s membership rosters, attendance logs, voter registration lists, balloting materials, and any other internal administrative records.
4. Within 90 days after the effective date of the local law that added this section, the commissioner shall transfer to the commissioner of records and information services all materials referenced in paragraph 3 of this subdivision that are in the possession of the department.
c. Conditions for official recognition. The commissioner shall not confer official recognition on a precinct community council unless such precinct community council provides to the commissioner a copy of its latest bylaws and an annual certification that its latest bylaws state the following in substance:
1. A precinct community council shall hold its meetings and elections at a neutral, publicly accessible location that is not a department facility.
2. A precinct community council shall hold at least 1 general membership meeting per calendar year at which the commanding officer of the command represented by such precinct community council is not present.
3. In the conduct of precinct community council affairs, a precinct community council shall treat department personnel on duty or acting in an official capacity as advisory participants who are prohibited from determining precinct community council meeting logistics, approving precinct community council communications, and participating in or managing precinct community council elections.
4. A precinct community council shall permit members of the public attending such precinct community council’s meetings to speak on any matter of community concern.
5. A precinct community council shall vest exclusive control in such precinct community council’s elected civilian governing board over all materials, whether physical or digital, concerning the internal affairs of a precinct community council, including a precinct community council’s membership rosters, attendance logs, voter registration lists, balloting materials, and any other internal administrative records. A precinct community council shall not utilize department personnel to manage, maintain, store, or retain custody of such materials and shall not utilize a department facility as a repository for such materials.
d. Guidelines and reporting. 1. Within 90 days after the effective date of the local law that added this section, the commissioner shall publish on the department’s website internal guidelines governing how department personnel interact with precinct community councils in accordance with the requirements of the local law that added this section. The commissioner shall review such guidelines on an annual basis and make any revisions or updates deemed appropriate by the commissioner, and the commissioner shall publish such revised or updated guidelines on the department’s website within 15 days after making such revisions or updates.
2. a. Within 90 days after the effective date of the local law that added this section, the commissioner shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council, and publish on the department’s website, a report listing every precinct community council conferred official recognition.
b. Within 30 days after conferring official recognition on any additional precinct community council, the commissioner shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council, and publish on the department’s website, an updated report listing every precinct community council conferred official recognition.
§ 2. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law.
IEM
LS #24102
10/6/2026 12:59 PM