Kent Police Receive NY Fingerprint Equipment Grant

Mount Vernon Police are among eight local police departments receiving money to purchase new electronic fingerprinting equipment in a second round of funding announced Wednesday by New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

More than $453,000 in state grants will enable 39 police departments and sheriffs' offices to purchase new electronic fingerprinting equipment. With this investment, the state has provided nearly $1.2 million to local law enforcement in less than a year, enabling a total of 90 agencies across the state to replace existing devices that are old or obsolete.

Last fall, 51 agencies received a total of $710,000.

SEE: Local Police Receive Fingerprint Equipment Grants

Division of Criminal Justice Services officials said they expect to make funding for this technology available annually, with the ultimate goal of helping all agencies upgrade to new technology and associated equipment.

"Fingerprint analysis is a critical tool in criminal investigations and we must ensure police departments have access to the resources and the most up-to-date technology to conduct it properly," Cuomo said in his announcement. "These grants will help law enforcement across New York maintain and even upgrade this crucial equipment and strengthen their ability to keep our communities safe."

Digital fingerprint technology enables law enforcement agencies and the courts to instantly receive an arrestee's positive identification and any past criminal history and warrant information from the state. This information is crucial in determining how cases against arrested individuals proceed, including whether bail is set by the court.

Municipal police departments and county sheriffs' offices across the state were eligible to apply for up to $10,000 for each device or other related equipment, such as printers, scanners and cameras.

Priority was given to those agencies with the highest number of arrests from 2013 through 2015 and agencies hosting regional servers that allow others to electronically submit fingerprints to the state and Federal Bureau of Investigation could apply for funding for more than one device. The request for applications also required that agencies match state funds because the technology is crucial to both local law enforcement and the state.

All fingerprints taken in connection with arrests must be submitted electronically to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services – the state's repository of criminal history record information – and the FBI.

Click here to view all agencies and municipalities receiving this round of grants.

Hudson Valley:

• Hastings-on-Hudson Police Department $10,000
• Kent Police Department $10,000
• Mount Hope Police Department $10,000
• Mount Vernon Police Department $10,000
• Newburgh Town Police Department $9,972
• Orangetown Police Department $10,000
• Walden Police Department $494
• Yonkers Police Department $9,846