Depew Police recently purchased 25 body cameras with $60,000 in state funding and are expected to begin wearing them in mid-September.
“These cameras are the latest, state-of-the-art technology, and will help us with transparency, gathering evidence and maintaining records of encounters between our police officers and the public,” said Police Capt. Timothy Norek.
The cameras are designed to start recording once an officer turns on the emergency lights of their patrol vehicle.
“During last summer's New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative initiative, it was agreed that outfitting each police officer would be a good way to protect both the officer and the public," said Deputy Mayor Kevin Peterson. "I came across a statement that I truly believe in: ‘If officers and citizens are being watched, we are both more liable to do the right thing.’”
Assemblymember Monica Wallace helped secure the state funds for the cameras. She also secured $250,000 for the Depew Fire Department to replace its breathing equipment, $150,000 for new emergency traffic signals for South Line Fire Department and $10,000 for the Lancaster Police Department to equip every police vehicle with a defibrillator.
