POUGHKEEPSIE – More police agencies in Dutchess County will be equipped with body-worn cameras (BWCs) as a result of an agreement with Dutchess County. The county legislature approved $620,000 in funding last week to assist local agencies in their modernization efforts.
The program is being coordinated by the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response and will assist police departments in the City of Poughkeepsie, towns of Hyde Park, Poughkeepsie, Pine Plains, and East Fishkill, and the police in the villages of Fishkill, Millbrook, and Wappingers Falls.
The agreement between the county and the police departments requires that the departments use AXON cameras and must sign a five-year contract with AXON. In exchange, the county will pay $2,800 for each camera requested by the departments and also provide a $2,000 payment to each department to assist with the startup costs of the program.
The $2,800 per unit is expected to cover the first two years of the standard package which includes the camera, software, hardware, and storage. If departments choose to purchase additional features, they must pay for the features out of their own budget.
County Executive Marc Molinaro announced the plan in August. “The Dutchess County Police Reform and Modernization Collaborative was formed to help improve and reform policing, building on the efforts already underway throughout the county,” said Molinaro. “This newest shared service initiative allows us to partner with municipalities to create a network of interoperable body-worn cameras, which will further enhance our collaboration among policing agencies in Dutchess County.”
To participate in the body-cam program, municipalities were required to return a letter of intent to the county by September 9th, including how many units will be purchased. Among the first to agree to participate in the program was the City of Poughkeepsie, which requested 65 body-cams for its police department, expanding the department’s current number of body-cams for on-duty officers.
City of Poughkeepsie Police Chief Thomas Pape said, “The City of Poughkeepsie Police Department understands the value of transparency, accountability, and modernization as we work to enhance relationships with the community, build trust and improve dialogue and understanding.” The city implemented its BWC program in 2020. Pape also said, “We are grateful to the county for their financial support in providing this vital equipment that will enhance our ability to ensure trust between our officers and the communities they serve.”
