Executive Order No. 1 Action #4: Acquisition of Additional Body-Worn Cameras for Remaining Officers in the Uniform Bureau Patrol Section

On June 19, 2020, Mayor Ben Walsh issued the Syracuse Police Reform Executive Order No. 1 Action #4. This action called for the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) to complete its the work of obtaining more body-worn cameras, resulting in all uniformed officers who are on patrol or respond to resident calls being equipped with a body-worn camera.

On Monday, July 13, 2020 the Syracuse Common Council approved revised legislation to ensure compliance with a grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice for the procurement of body-worn cameras for use by SPD officers. 

The City of Syracuse then agreed to the following timeline:

1. Purchase and acquire 220 cameras by Aug. 28, 2020.
2. Construct a physical, secured equipment docking space for the cameras by Sept. 18, 2020.
3. Coordinate body-worn equipment technology software registration with AXON Company and integration with Onondaga County 911 by Sept. 18, 2020.
4. Train officers on the use of individually assigned (i.e. not shared) body-worn cameras, having 113 officers equipped and trained with body worn cameras by Oct. 25, 2020, and the officers assigned and trained on the use of the remaining 107 body-worn cameras by December 2020.

Purchase & Acquisition of 220 Cameras - COMPLETE

SPD’s goal of outfitting every officer assigned to the patrol unit, responding to citizen calls means that SPD will deploy a total of 220 body-worn cameras. To fulfill that goal, SPD ordered (Invoice 1, 2 and 3) and received 220 new body-worn cameras after replacing and returning its previous inventory of 107 trial cameras.

Construction of Equipment Docking Space - COMPLETE

The City of Syracuse Skilled Trades staff installed secure docking stations in the Public Safety Building where the 220 body-worn cameras will be stored at the end of each officer’s shift.

Coordination of Body-Worn Camera Technology - COMPLETE

SPD contracted AXON, a public safety technology company that develops applications and defense products for law enforcement, to integrate the body-worn cameras with data from 911 calls using Computer Aided Dispatch. The technology will allow SPD to be able to efficiently search and locate specific time-stamped body-worn camera footage instead of having to search through long sections of footage. Reasons for viewing the footage can then serve a number of purposes including training, discipline, criminal investigation, etc.

Training & Deployment of BWCs - Due Date December 2020

By Oct. 25, 2020, 113 officers will be trained on and equipped with body-worn cameras. SPD will have deployed a total of 220 body-worn cameras by December 2020, ensuring that all patrol officers who respond to citizen emergency calls have the ability to record their interactions with the public.

In 2021 due to retirements, ten body-worn cameras were reassigned to patrol sergeants.

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