Yorktown Authorizes Purchase Of Police Body-Worn Cameras

YORKTOWN, NY — Police in Yorktown will be getting body-worn camera, but that is just one of the recommendations of a 2021 study put in place.

The Yorktown Town Board authorized the purchase of police body cameras last week. The five-year, $478,495.90 contract with Axon Enterprises includes the purchase of body-worn cameras, cloud storage and tasers. The body cameras are expected to start being used this summer.

"In 2021, the Town Board released the Yorktown Coalition on Community Safety and Engagement’s report on the Yorktown Police Department," Supervisor Ed Lachterman said. "One of the report’s recommendations was the use of body cameras by our police officers. The purchase of these body cameras demonstrates the Town Board’s commitment to transparency and professionalism."

The report was prepared in response to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order 203 requiring all local governments with police departments to perform a comprehensive review of police force deployments, strategies, policies, procedures and practices.

The Yorktown Coalition on Community Safety and Engagement came up with the recommendations after six public online meetings in late 2020 and early 2021. The meetings included two presentations by Chief Robert Noble and two listening sessions for community partners.

Dozens of community members attended the six meetings. Topics raised by residents included: civilian review boards, micro-aggressions, the Yorktown Police Department’s active engagement with residents, body cameras, implicit-bias awareness training, teen intervention programs, de-escalation strategies, lethal force reduction and police policies.

The Yorktown Police Department says that it operates at one of the highest professional levels possible, as shown by its longstanding status as an accredited police agency by the New York State Division of Criminal justice Services, a status only 29 percent of New York State’s 540 law enforcement agencies have achieved.