POLICE BODY CAMS
The city is set to launch a police body cam pilot program next month
TROY, N.Y. » Beginning in June, the Troy Police Department will start testing body cameras in the Collar City.
According to an announcement by Mayor Patrick Madden, a limited number of officers will wear the cameras to help determine the next steps for the full deployment of a body-worn camera program for the entire department.
Another reason for the limited rollout could stem from a lack of communication between the administration and the Troy PBA, according to Troy PBA President Nicholas Laviano.
“I don’t know why they’re doing that, they haven’t sat down with the PBA to negotiate anything,” Laviano said of the timing of the rollout.
“Our attorney wrote a letter to the mayor on March 18, and we have
yet to receive a response to that letter saying that we want to sit down and negotiate the body camera program. [Mayor Madden] has yet to reach out to any of us, whether it’s me directly or our attorney Mark Walsh, and we don’t know why he’s putting this pilot program out there other than it’s an election year, and he’s looking to score some political points with his base,” Laviano added.
Laviano said he’s not opposed to the body cams but wants more discussion on the policy.
“I don’t anticipate any of our officers volunteering for it so it’s pretty much going to be useless for him to do this. Then he’ll probably blame the PBA and say we’re sabotaging it, which we’re not, we’re trying to do it the right way and unfortunately he’s just forcing this out there. That’s been the city of Troy’s MO since I’ve been a cop over ten years ago,” Laviano added.
Short of a letter from Police Chief Brian Owens notifying them of the launch, Laviano says they’ve received nothing new from the administration.
According to the mayor’s office, there has been a constructive dialogue between the administration and Owens on coordinating the launch of the equipment.
“Implementation of a pilot, body-worn camera program is part of the Troy Police Department’s ongoing modernization as a 21stcentury law enforcement agency. This process will help guide the department’s next steps in a larger deployment of new technologies to help officers address the challenges of modern policing. We appreciate the thorough & collaborative approach of Chief Owens to move this process forward, and thank the officers who assisted in developing the policy and assessed practical use during the preliminary phases of the body camera program,” Madden said in a statement.
“Community policing is at the core of the department’s mission to serve and protect the residents, families, and businesses of Troy. The launch of a pilot program to assess the functionality of a body-worn camera program will provide valuable insight on how best to deploy these new law enforcement tools to assist in this effort,” added Owens in a statement.
In 2018, the Troy Police Department was awarded funding through the New York State Office of the Attorney General’s CAMS program to purchase bodyworn cameras.
According to the administration, department leadership and command staff worked with Troy police officers and the city administration to develop a policy for the deployment of a body-worn camera program in the community.
“Over the last three years, I have advocated for body cams for our police officers. As the sponsor of the funding to match the NYS Attorney General grant, I’m pleased to see this project moving forward. Body cams are a win-win for our police officers and our community, and while this is a pilot project I’m confident when fully implemented body cams will be a great benefit to continue protecting our residents and police officers,” Troy City Council President Carmella Mantello said of her support for the project.
Conversely, Councilman David Bissember commented on the need to further probe how the cameras are used.
“Body cams were recommended by the AG to enhance police accountability and transparency. We need to take a deeper look into the questions about storage and data access. I’ll be holding a public safety committee meeting next month to get updates on the pilot program,” Bissember said in a statement.
Laviano also voiced his concern on how the body cameras would impact patrol officers and their discretion in carrying out their duties.
“It’s politicians trying to tell cops how to do our job. For some reason, we’re the only career that where people who’ve never been a police officer think they know how to do our job,” Laviano said.
“The city should’ve invested the $186,000 to update and replace any broken cameras in downtown, which they have not,” Laviano commented.
In addition, Laviano noted how an investment in patrol car dash cams would’ve provided more clarity to prior officer-involved shootings in the city.
“Unfortunately the city of Troy likes to save a penny to lose a dollar,” Laviano added.