KINGSTON – The Ulster County Sheriff’s Office received a state grant of nearly $70,000 to purchase body cameras for its deputies on patrol. And the grant helped the county buy 93 cameras.
“We want transparency. And we can check to see if complaints are verifiable,” said Sheriff Juan Figueroa. “It’s a great tool we can use in law enforcement to see incidents that occur with our officers. Anything that makes our jobs better, we will take advantage of it.”
Attorney General Letitia James traveled to Kingston Friday to make the announcement. James said the body cams help with accountability and help clear police of any wrongdoing.
“I was a long proponent of body cams, dating back to the Eric Garner situation of Staten Island,” said James. “And it’s really important we have an accurate account and objective account of a street encounter.”
The funding is available through a state program known Capture an Account of Material Situation (CAMS), which was launched in 2018. And the funding was secured through money recovered by the state during operations against organized crime.
The Ulster County Sheriff’s Office is one of 13 police agencies in the state to receive the body cams. More than $1 million was allocated by the state to buy nearly 900 cameras.
The Albany County Sheriff’s Office and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety also received state funds for the body cams.
