Southold Police begin body camera training

Southold Town Police Department members began training to use body-worn cameras, also known as BWCs, last week.

The police department received $980,225 in May 2024 as part of $127 million in funding awarded by the state to more than 300 New York police departments for technology upgrades to improve public safety. 

Police Chief Steven Grattan said the department used $359,000 to purchase 50 BWCs from Axon of Scottsdale, Ariz., formerly known as TASER International Inc., which unveiled its first body cameras in 2008. The purchase is part of a five-year contract that was paid in full and includes the issuance of new cameras after two and a half years, he said.

These cameras have back-end storage capabilities and the ability to redact video. Former police chief Martin Flatley said the cameras provided beneficial opportunities to capture video in houses or around yards that would not be possible with in-car video cameras.

The March 12 training session gave the police department’s command staff a general overview of the camera’s functionality and a detailed look at the digital evidence management system, which is the platform where all videos will be uploaded, Chief Grattan said. Officer training began March 17, with all training sessions to be completed by the first week of April. 

Beyond the BWCs, $222,000 was used to purchase 17 Fleet 3 in-car cameras and license plate readers, also known as LPRs. Chief Grattan said the LPRs will be stationed throughout town. 

Seven computer tablets for department use were purchased for $35,000. The tablets enable officers to collect statements from victims and witnesses and prepare reports themselves while on the move.

A drone was also purchased for $16,000.

“The drone has been and will continue to be used for various purposes, including searching for missing persons and suspects, water rescues — it has a device that can drop a flotation device to someone in the water — and photographing accident and crime scenes,” Chief Grattan said. 

Remaining grant funding has been used to purchase an alcohol measuring Intoxilyzer device for Fishers Island, portable radios and to upgrade cameras at department headquarters.

BWC policy

The Southold Town Board — who serve as police department commissioners — codified rules for the use of BWCs and similar portable recording devices on Feb. 25. The policy was made available to the public March 12, and specifies that permission to use such devices “does not apply to undercover operations,” including wiretaps or eavesdropping. 

“It is the policy of the Southold Town Police Department to use BWCs and BWC media for evidence collection and to accurately document events in a way that promotes member safety, department accountability and transparency, while also protecting the privacy of members of the public,” the policy states.

BWCs should be activated during all calls for services and the performance of all law enforcement-related functions, the policy states. Officers are not required to activate their BWC during casual or informal contact with the public that is unrelated to law enforcement. However, officers should activate their BWC any time an interaction “becomes hostile or adversarial.”

“When responding to a place where individuals have an expectation of privacy (e.g., private residences, medical or mental health facilities, restrooms) or to a sensitive situation (e.g., individuals partially or fully unclothed), members are permitted to mute or deactivate their BWC if it reasonably appears that the privacy concern outweighs any legitimate department interest in recording the event,” the policy states. 

Officers may also mute or deactivate their BWC to protect the privacy of a victim or witness, when someone wishes to provide information anonymously, to avoid recording a confidential informant or undercover officer, when discussing case tactics or strategy or during private conversations with other officers or emergency responders.

Before muting or deactivating their BWC, officers should verbally state the reason on the recording, according to the policy. Officers should reactivate their BWC and verbally note the recording has been resumed once the privacy concern is no longer an issue or “when circumstances change so that the privacy concern no longer outweighs the department’s interest in recording the event.”

The cameras also have a live-streaming capability for remote viewing in real time, but the policy states that “only supervisors and dispatchers approved by the Chief of Police or the authorized designee shall have access” to the livestream. 

BWC recordings will not replace written reports and should not be referred to in a written report in place of detailing the event, the policy states, and the use or deactivation of the devices should also be included in each report. All media collected will remain the “sole property of the department.” 

“BWCs should not be used for the purpose of embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule of any individual or group,” the policy states. 

BWCs should not be used to record routine administrative department activities that do not involve interactions with the public. “Care should be taken to avoid incidentally recording confidential documents that the department has a duty to keep secure (i.e., criminal justice information),” the policy states. 

A BWC coordinator will serve as a liaison between the police department, Axon — the BWC manufacturer — and any third-party media storage vendor. Chief Grattan said he has not appointed a BWC coordinator yet, but it will either be an administrative lieutenant or a sergeant. The coordinator will also retain audit logs and develop inventory procedures for issuance as well as maintenance or repair of BWC equipment.