Body camera policies in finalization process at New Rochelle Police Department

Deputy Police Commissioner Rob Gazzola says turning the devices on and off is simple, however implementing a program is not.

News 12 Staff

Jun 6, 2021, 8:54 PM

Updated 1,220 days ago

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New Rochelle police now have 150 body cameras to add to their uniformed officers gear.
Deputy Police Commissioner Rob Gazzola says turning the devices on and off is simple, however implementing a program is not.
"It's when you record, how you record, the length of the recording, when to stop recording -- which is crucial in policing nowadays. You don't want officers to stop recording into the incident," he said.
Gazzola is set to become the department's commissioner in July.
In New Rochelle, calls for transparency and police accountability amplified following the fatal officer-involved shooting of Kamal Flowers last summer. Part of the incident was captured on grainy video from a nearby building.
The city called for the implementation of a body camera program in their police reform plan last February.
"I think it will go a long way in helping explain better what we do when we interact with our community," said Gazzola. 
He says storing the footage is the biggest challenge.
"A big issue with discovery laws is getting the information as evidence to the district attorney," he said.
That decision will be left up to a five-person discovery unit that is solely focused on transferring evidence to the Westchester DA's office.
New Rochelle police received a $250,000 state grant to start a body and dash camera program this year. It will cost a little more than $200,000 a year to maintain the program.