BILL NUMBER: S5377

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the executive law, in relation to the
creation of a "yellow alert system"

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill will establish a "yellow alert system," for law enforcement to
publicize vehicle information in instances of hit-and-run accidents.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

1 amends, § 221 of the executive law to give police officers, peace
officers, and police agencies in the state the discretion to dispatch
information regarding vehicles involved in a hit-and-run incident from
which a person was killed or has suffered serious bodily injury, over
the police communication system. If a police agency is not connected to
the police communication system, they may transmit such information to
the nearest or most convenient electronic entry point. After being
dispatched over the aforementioned communication system or electronic
              

entry point, this information can be broadcast to the public by means
of, but not limited to: e-mail notifications; highway signs; text
messages; telephone calls; television; or radio. In situations where the
investigating police. department advises that the release of such infor-
mation may jeopardize the investigation or the safety of the victim, or
requests forbearances for any other reason, no dispatch or transmission
of information will be required.

§ 2 sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Approximately 40,000 hit-and-run incidents occur yearly in New York
City, with 4,000 causing personal injury. In 2015, 48 hit-and-run inci-
dents in New York City were designated as "catastrophic," meaning that
they resulted in death or serious injury. Of these, only 28 resulted in
prosecution of any sort. An important reason why so few hit-and-run
incidents have led to prosecution is that those involved, who cause the
serious injury or death in question, often evade the scene of the inci-
dent.

For victims and their families, a fatal or injurious hit-and-run is an
exceedingly tragic event. This legislation will work to increase the
likelihood that justice meets the perpetrator of these tragic occur-
rences.

By establishing the "yellow alert system," police agencies and depart-
ments will be able to inform the public of, vehicle information related
to hit-and-run incidents, and therefore gain a vital tool in their
efforts to apprehend those who choose to leave the scene of a hit-and-
run incident. Furthermore, police agencies and departments will be
granted the autonomy to decide if and how information is disseminated.
This implies that if police agencies have existing systems and proce-
dures for broadcasting public alerts, they can utilize them.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:.:

2017-18: S.4257-B Alcantara/A.5261-B De La Rosa
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Possible fiscal implications for police agencies and departments without
existing systems and procedures for broadcasting public alerts.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.