Police on Long Island have expressed frustration over CVS’s delayed release of surveillance footage following the tragic stabbing of a cherished employee on Christmas Day. In response, a local lawmaker is taking steps to prevent such delays in the future.

State Assemblyman Kwani O’Pharrow has introduced the Edeedson ‘Joshy’ Cine Transparency Act, named after the 23-year-old CVS employee who lost his life during a failed robbery. This proposed legislation would require businesses to promptly provide security footage to law enforcement without the need for a search warrant or subpoena, O’Pharrow explained to The Post.

“We encountered significant issues and delays in obtaining the crime scene video,” O’Pharrow stated. “It took law enforcement around 18 hours to access the footage, which hindered their investigation efforts.”

The CVS chain faced criticism after Suffolk County police alleged that officials at the Lindenhurst store delayed the murder investigation by withholding the video evidence, which postponed the apprehension of suspect John Pillaccio, now facing murder charges, until the next day.

“The perpetrator of this horrific act could have been anywhere, possibly even committing additional crimes,” O’Pharrow remarked to The Post.

The state lawmaker proposed the bill just two days before Cine’s funeral services. The legislation is now being reviewed in committee, where it may see some tweaks, he said.  

Under current state law, private businesses are not required to turn over surveillance footage without a warrant or a subpoena, with no set deadline or penalties for any delays or refusals by the company.

O’Pharrow’s bill does not currently include a time frame for business owners to turn over video or other evidence, but does call for $100,000 fines for each violation and possible civil repercussions. 

O’Pharrow said the additional details will be worked out during debate on the bill.  

The proposal does already lay out possible exemptions and a 24-hour time frame for cooperation — with businesses allowed to have attorneys review the video before it’s released, and would take into account privacy and competitive business claims.  

Cine was working the holiday so that a coworker could spend Christmas with their family, when his down-on-his-luck accused killer, who said he was $25,000 in debt, demanded money at knifepoint and repeatedly stabbed the young CVS worker for refusing.

Suffolk County’s top cop Kevin Catalina blasted CVS, accusing the store of “hampering our ability to make an arrest,” he told reporters in December. 

Cine’s family could not be reached for comment regarding the legislation as the funeral services were ongoing. However, O’Pharrow told The Post that he spoke with Cine’s parents and siblings and they are supportive of the bill.

Meanwhile, a CVS rep defended the store’s handling of the video footage in an email to The Post.

The spokesperson said last week that the store allowed police to video footage on the day of the murder and provided it the following morning.

“Our teams worked through the night to pull and package more than 24 hours of video in the specific manner they asked for,” the rep said.