FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2024
Kingston Police Department Awarded $1.15M Grant for Technology
KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the Kingston City Police Department has been awarded $1,149,000 from the Division of Criminal Justice Services’ (DCJS) Law Enforcement Technology (LETECH) grant program.
On Monday, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that $127 million in funding is being awarded to all 378 law enforcement agencies across New York State. The funding can be used for a variety of equipment and technology, including license plate readers, mobile and fixed surveillance cameras, computer-aided dispatch systems, software, unmanned aerial vehicles, gunshot detection devices, and smart equipment for patrol vehicles and police officers.
“This unprecedented investment in the Kingston Police Departments to purchase new technology and equipment will allow us to continue to modernize our operations and procedures,” said Mayor Noble. “With this funding, we will be able to increase public safety with the addition of new and upgraded technology, which will also allow our officers to spend more of their time connecting directly with our community. I thank Governor Hochul for including this grant funding in the 2025 budget and for investing in local law enforcement agencies across the state.”
“Over the years, the Kingston Police Department has come to rely on technology to help our officers and detectives do their job more efficiently. Computers and workstations are on every desk and in every patrol car, providing our officers with information at their fingertips,” said Chief Egidio Tinti. “This grant will allow us to upgrade and expand our information technology systems withing the police department and throughout the City. Many thanks to the Governor’s office and the staff of DCJS for their support of local police.”
“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,” Governor Hochul said in her announcement. “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.”
The FY25 Enacted Budget includes record-level investments in public safety and criminal justice funding to support Governor Hochul’s comprehensive, multifaceted approach to address gun violence and includes additional funding to target retail theft, more effectively combat domestic violence, and ensure funding for community-based programs that serve victims and survivors of crime.
The Division of Criminal Justice Services provides critical support to all facets of the state’s criminal justice system, including training law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals; overseeing a law enforcement accreditation program; ensuring Breathalyzer and speed enforcement equipment used by local law enforcement operate correctly; managing criminal justice grant funding; analyzing statewide crime and program data; providing research support; overseeing county probation departments and alternatives to incarceration programs; coordinating youth justice policy and more.
Read Governor Hochul’s announcement here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-127-million-police-departments-and-sheriffs-offices-new-technology.