Government grants to support police technology

New York State has awarded a total of $127 million to county sheriffs and city and village police departments across the state, and thousands of dollars are expected to end up in the hands of police departments here.

In total, 22 percent of the statewide money will go toward new license plate readers, Gov. Kathy Hochul said last Thursday. Body cameras and equipment for patrol cars account for 20 percent and public safety camera systems account for 17 percent.

“Public safety is my top priority and we continue to make record investments in law enforcement so they have the resources they need to protect our communities,” Gov. Hochul said in a statement. “By investing in the latest technology and equipment, we are responding to the demands of law enforcement agencies who want to secure the future of our state.”

Awards vary depending on the size of the department. East Hampton Town will receive $269,626 from the state, while East Hampton Village will receive $112,730. Sag Harbor Village will receive $144,000.

Police chiefs of these three jurisdictions said the money would be used in a manner consistent with Gov. Hochul’s statement.

“We are very pleased to receive this federal funding and will continue to improve and expand our license plate reader and camera technology for fixed locations as well as in patrol vehicles,” East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo said in an email last week.

Assistant Chief Jeff Erickson of the East Hampton Village Police Department said the money will be used to reimburse the village government after it spent money upfront on new laptops and dashboard cameras in the patrol cars. The police department’s existing technology is outdated and the manufacturer recently went out of business, Police Chief Erickson noted.

He called these tools a “vital part of the police department’s work. These onboard computers are the lifeblood of the department – for incident reports, accidents, tickets – the police car is the officer’s office.”

The new equipment, he said, “will make the department more efficient and modern. It was needed, and we are very grateful to the governor for providing this grant because these things are very costly.”

In Sag Harbor, Police Chief Robert Drake said the grant money will be used to replace older cameras and install some new cameras in Steinbeck Park and under the bridge to North Haven.

“We are very happy and grateful for this grant,” said Chief Drake.

According to the governor’s office, Southampton Town in the East End will receive $50,000, while Southampton Village will receive $355,620. Southold Town will receive $980,225 and Shelter Island Town will receive $35,862. Riverhead will receive the most of any East End township, with $1.47 million coming from the state.