Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and Yonkers Police Commissioner John Mueller today announced the launch of the Yonkers Police Department’s new police body-worn camera pilot program. Starting August 20, 16 members of the Yonkers Police will wear body-worn cameras during their patrol tours during a free three-month trial.
“Since 2012, our Yonkers Police Department has enacted over 100 reforms in the effort to reimagine how local law enforcement agencies interact with its communities,” said Mayor Spano. “The implementation of a police body camera program is something we’ve long pursued, and now I am proud we’ve come to agreements with our police unions and City Council in sanctioning a program that will better serve and provide even more transparency for our residents and police officers.”
Commissioner John J. Mueller stated, “I am both excited and hopeful for the upcoming body-worn camera program. I believe that this program is yet another of many steps, initiatives, and innovations that will further move us toward increased transparency with how the YPD interacts with residents. The implementation of body-worn cameras was at the top of the list of community input with regard to police reform and Mayor Spano’s administration moved quickly and decisively to make the pilot program happen. We will be carefully assessing all aspects of the body-worn camera usage during the pilot program phase with the ultimate goal of implementing a protocol that protects both our officers and the residents we serve.”
The City of Yonkers agreed to a free three-month pilot program with Axon, which includes the use and training for 16 cameras. Select members of the Yonkers Police Department in the Third and Fourth Precincts will will transmit high definition video and audio when activated by the officer and will be uploaded after each tour to a secure cloud system at evidence.com. After the 90-day trial, the City will release a Request for Proposal (RFP) in order to purchase approximately 400 body-worn cameras for long-term use. The initial cost of the system is estimated to be $1.7 million, and $1.2 million each subsequent year. Axon currently provides service and cameras to the police departments in New York City, White Plains, NY and Westchester County.
“I am looking forward to the implementation of this three month pilot body camera program. When I first introduced this back in 2015, I understood then the importance of body cameras and what it meant for our community. Body cameras would mean added trust between our community and law enforcement, but it would also mean transparency and protections for those on our police force,” stated Yonkers City Council Majority Leader Corazon Pineda-Isaac.
“In the wake of recent events taking place throughout our country, the time to move forward with body cameras is even more pressing. Body cameras would not only hold our police officers accountable when on patrol, but they would protect them as well from potentially frivolous complaints lodged against them. It’s a win-win for the police department as well as for the residents of our City”.
According to the latest FBI statistics, the City of Yonkers is ranked the safest city of its size (200,000-250,000 residents). Since 2011, excessive force complaints against the Yonkers Police Department have decreased by nearly 80%, with currently no reported excessive force complaints against the Department in 2020.
