UPDATE: The Common Council unanimously passed a proposal by the police department to apply for $140,000 in federal grants to provide plainclothes detectives with body-worn cameras.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- An anticipated increase in drug and gun investigations this summer has led the Syracuse Police Department to ask lawmakers if it can apply for federal grants to cover the cost of body-worn cameras for detectives.
Currently, the department has 238 body-worn cameras, which are enough for the department’s patrol officers and sergeants.
The department wants the Common Council’s approval to apply for a $140,000 grant from the United States Department of Justice. The council will vote on the proposal today.
The $140,000 would cover the cost of 28 body-worn cameras, which will be worn by detectives from the department’s special investigations division.
Police Chief Joseph Cecile said detectives this summer will be more involved in street-level complaints regarding drug dealing and gun violence.
Often the department gets complaints about houses and corners where drug dealing happens. This summer, those complaints will be handled by SID detectives.
Cecile said the department will try to budget for the cameras regardless of whether it gets the grant from the DOJ.
The department has ramped up its use of body-worn cameras in the last five years. The department first began using body-worn cameras in May 2017. At the time 16 officers had them. All patrol officers had body-worn cameras by January 2021.
All officers are now trained on how to use body-worn cameras in the training academy and are immediately given a body-worn camera when they began working patrol, Cecile said.
Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Chris Libonati by phone at 585-290-0718 or by email at clibonati@syracuse.com.