New York has approved more than $24 million to prevent and solve crimes in Monroe County. The majority of the funds will go to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office ($11.7 million) and Rochester Police Department ($10 million).
A total of $127 million has been made available to police departments and sheriff’s offices outside New York City for new technology and equipment to improve public safety. These agencies are expected to use the dollars to modernize operations to solve and prevent crime more effectively.
In Monroe County, the towns of Greece ($990,000), Brighton ($879,150), Irondequoit ($155,900), Gates ($140,000), Ogden ($67,185) and Webster ($23,474) received grants. East Rochester ($25,926) and the village of Brockport ($46,765) were among the other recipients.
Elsewhere in the Rochester region, the grant totals by county were Livingston, $598,420; Ontario, $992,000; Orleans, $672,858; Wayne, $658,447; and Yates, $203,448.
The grants support the purchase of items like license plate readers, mobile and fixed camera systems, computer-aided dispatch systems, software, unmanned aerial vehicles, gunshot detection devices and smart equipment for patrol vehicles and police officers.
“Public safety is my top priority, and we are continuing to make record investments in law enforcement so they have the resources they need to protect our communities,” Gov. Kathy Hochul says. “By investing in the latest technology and equipment, we’re responding to the requests of law enforcement agencies as they look to safeguard the future of our state.”
Last fall, applications for funding were requested by the state with the initial amount of $50 million. Hochul secured additional funding in the fiscal year 2025 enacted budget to fund applications made by 378 law enforcement agencies.
The funds will be administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, which provides support to the state’s criminal justice system. More than half of the total funding will be used to support license plate readers (22 percent), body-worn and patrol vehicle equipment (20 percent), and public safety camera systems (17 percent), state officials say. DCJS notified agencies Monday and is expected to send award letters this month.
The funding for law enforcement agencies is part of Hochul’s approach to tackle gun violence and crime. Recently, $40.2 million was assigned to dedicated retail theft teams within State Police, district attorneys’ offices and local law enforcement. The funds are part of an effort to fight organized retail theft.
In April, $20 million in new state funding for victim assistance programs was announced to ensure the continued availability of direct services for victims and survivors of crime statewide. The funds allow the Office of Victim Services to fully fund the final year of contracts with 239 victim assistance programs. These programs offer counseling, help with case management and support groups, and provide emergency shelter, civil legal assistance and other services.
Smriti Jacob is Rochester Beacon managing editor. The Beacon welcomes comments and letters from readers who adhere to our comment policy including use of their full, real name. Submissions to the Letters page should be sent to [email protected].
Occam’s Razor?
Fine that there is spending on technology and equipment, yet where is the funding for training?
Not only training in de-escalation techniques, but also in general communication skills, driving (see the recent articles in the D&C regarding insufficient driving driving and standards), legal updates, and a host of other topics that would hone the professional skills of our police. It may also behoove the state to spend funds on the mental well-being of the men and women who are subjected to trauma on a regular basis. Perhaps some of the funds spent on technologies and gadgets should be spent on the human aspect of policing.
The antidote for crime is education. Failure to educate fails our kids. That failure results in kids getting their education on the street, That results in crime. I know that sound rather simple and it is actually common sense. It escapes our educational leadership. The public safety budget has an unending mission to make up for the educational failure.