Rye PD is in the process of installing new dashboard cameras in its primary patrol vehicles, updating equipment that was installed following recommendations from a city police review committee formed after the murder of George Floyd.
The new video cameras are part of a larger equipment package for the department’s 16 police cruisers, said Public Safety Commissioner Michael Kopy.
“The old dash cams in the cars had broken and had begun to become unserviceable,” Kopy said.
The installation is expected be complete in the next six weeks, according to the commissioner.
On Aug. 6, the Rye City Council unanimously approved two related policies, updating how the department uses both body-worn cameras and dashboard-mounted mobile audio/video systems.
According to the policy, officers are required to record all law enforcement activities with body cameras, while dash cams mounted to patrol vehicles automatically turn on with emergency lights and stay on until an incident ends.
Footage is stored securely, kept for at least 180 days, and reviewed by supervisors when incidents are serious or complaints have been made, the policy states. When video is released, it’s done under state law and department rules — and only after steps are taken to protect the privacy of those involved.
Both policies, which take effect immediately, prohibit tampering with recordings and require specialized training for officers before usage.
While the new dash cameras cost only a few thousand dollars, the full technology package brought the cost to the city closer to $17,000, according to city records.
Body and dashboard cameras have become increasingly commonplace over the last several years, particularly after the 2020 murder of Floyd in Minneapolis and subsequent protests across the country.
The use of dash cams and the body cameras on officers was proposed by Rye’s Police Review Committee, which was formed following a state mandate by then New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The governor’s executive order required New York municipalities to review law enforcement policies and offer recommendations.
Now, years after the devices first were installed by the Rye PD, PBA President Gabe Caputo told The Record that he’s in favor of the cameras.
“As a cop, when we’re doing our job, we’ll get accused of stuff all the time that’s not true, and I think the cameras, when you look at the totality of it and just take a thumbnail from the video, it shows that our guys are acting in good faith and they’re doing their job, and it protects us,” he said.
Currently, every Rye police officer is equipped with a body camera that must be turned on while they are on duty.
“The use of body cameras and vehicle dash cams promotes accountability and can improve behavior during encounters,” the police review committee said in its report, which included 18 recommendations for the police department.
The report also noted that footage from cameras not only aids in investigations, but also helps with training and resolving citizen complaints.
Caputo said that cameras help police who are accused of wrongdoing, pointing to an incident several years ago when a Rye cop was accused of unlawfully issuing a ticket. The officer was exonerated, he said, because of the footage.
“As a cop, as long as you’re, you know, coming from the right place, you have good intentions, you know you’re following what you’re supposed to follow, you don’t have anything to worry about,” the PBA president said.
Additionally, the committee recommended more opportunities for Rye residents to get acquainted with police officers, changes in hiring goals, and regular review of department policies and authority.
Discussions of Rye police being fitted with body cameras began as early as 2018, when then Public Safety Commissioner Michael Corcoran first asked for funding for them, city documents show.
Now seven years later, the city has taken its latest step to keep the technology current.
This article was updated at 6:20 p.m. on Aug. 19.
