B-Roll, Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Highlights $10.1 Million Investment in Law Enforcement Technology Across Capital Region

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul visited the East Greenbush Police Department to highlight more than $10.1 million in State investments that are enhancing law enforcement technology and equipment across the Capital Region. The funding, distributed last year, enables local police departments to modernize operations, improve officer safety and protect New Yorkers.

B-ROLL of the Governor touring the East Greenbush Police Department is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS of the event will be available on the Governor's Flickr page.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

I'm going to take a moment to shift gears and talk about our efforts to drive crime down - not just all over the State, but particularly here in the Capital Region.

And I'm really proud to be here today with members of the East Greenbush Police Department. We have our great Chief of Police - been chief for seven years, a member of the force for 31 years - Chief Elaine Rudzinski. Let's give her a round of applause. Our Supervisor, Jack Conway - appreciate all he did, and we had our shared experience about what it's like on a town board. I spent 14 years as a town board member, and I understand the power of local government to do good for people's lives, and I want to thank him for his years of public service as well.

And also, we have our District Attorney, Mary Pat Donnelly. We have been through a lot of battles, on the same side, as we worked to change discovery laws and make sure that we had common sense policies so they could do their jobs and protect our communities. She also is the president of the statewide District Attorneys Association. I want to thank our District Attorney for joining us as well.

And also, the men and women of this police force, second to none. I had a chance to meet a number of them. Dedicated. Some, fairly new on the job. Some, been here as long as 40 years. That, to me, is the ultimate in public service. And I thank them and all their colleagues for making sure that they work hard to keep us safe.

Keeping safe people safe is my number one priority - I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it again. And I also believe that dollars, investments make a real statement about your commitment. It's not just words, it's real dollars to support that. Last year, we delivered $127 million in grants to help local agencies upgrade their police technology with the most advanced tools that money could buy.

Again, I was on the town board. We would have loved to have the state government help us fund needed technology improvements, but we had to do it on our own. I vowed to change that dynamic when I became the Governor, and to be an ally and support local governments in particular, who are on the front lines of keeping communities safe.

I want them to be able to investigate and link crimes, put dangerous people behind bars. And here in the Capital Region, we allocated over $10 million, including $387,000 for the East Greenbush Police Department.

So earlier today, Chief Elaine Rudzinski - the first female Chief of Police here in Rensselaer County, way to go - showed me how the funding is already working. An upgraded radio console, three radios for their Shared Services [Response] Team. I was just in the vehicle that is the one that's there when the crises are the most frightening, and the technology that they can use to launch drones from there. New computers and monitors in the dispatch center. And as I mentioned, the drones we saw on display here, the night vision goggles and helmets, just to name a few. And it's already played a critical role in keeping our region safe, with better communication between departments and people here on the ground.

But technology alone is not enough to keep a region safe. Since I've taken office, four years, we've invested over $3 billion in State and local law enforcement, $21 million here in the Capital Region for key programs. It's all about not just money for technology, but you have to create a whole ecosystem of safety and security. That meant $5 million for our GIVE initiative, which is directly responsible for getting guns off the streets. $2 million for our SNUG program, which is violence disruptors who are literally on the ground, in the streets, creating connections, particularly with young people, showing them an alternative path. $2.7 million for youth employment because the best crime fighting tool is a job, no matter your age. And $2 million for Project RISE, supporting community organizations that offer mentorship, mental health services and proven interventions to reduce crime. And I'm here to say, it's working.

Shooting incidents in the Capital (Region) GIVE jurisdictions have declined by 45 percent since last year alone. That's extraordinary. If we fund our police, give them the support they need, the respect they deserve, connect people to the resources they need, we can effectively fight crime - and the numbers bear that out.

Now, unfortunately, we're seeing a different dynamic in Washington where the administration has gutted billions of dollars intended to go for law enforcement. Here, they've cut almost a million dollars - a million dollars less because of those cuts here for our law enforcement community. And they're threatening the slash funding from critical programs such as Hazmat, tactical teams, canine teams and search and rescue.

That money's not being used to protect hard working Americans, instead, it's being used for other purposes: beefing up ICE instead of supporting these initiatives. And what is ICE spending more of their time on? I wish they'd spend all their time on going after the worst of the worst, the heinous criminals that we were told they were going to devote their energy to. And I said, "I'll help you. I will always help you do that." But instead, we're splitting up families, terrorizing people just doing their jobs.

Yesterday I was on the phone with a CEO of a small power bar company where they just endured a raid of 70 individuals. I don't know when the trauma's going to leave that family and those individuals who were separated, still trying to find the whereabouts of a number of moms who had infants, including one that was nursing.

My friends, we can do better than that. Let's get that money back where it belongs in places like this. Let's continue making a difference. Because that's cruelty. It has nothing to do with public safety.

So here, we know our crime fighting strategies are working in the Capital Region. But as I always say, there's no such thing as a mission accomplished sign for me. We will not take our foot off the gas. More work to do, continue focusing on what they do. And again, I'm going to say this again and again, I'm so grateful to everyone who goes to the rigors of training, puts on a uniform, knows they can be a target, not sure they're going to make it back to their families at the end of the day, and they do it anyhow. I'm in awe of their courage. I'm in awe of their public service. And as the Governor of the great State of New York, I'm proud that you are doing what you do, because it lets me sleep better at night as well. So thanks to all of you.

And with that, let me turn it over to Chief Rudzinski to speak more about how we're fighting crime here in East Greenbush.

Contact the Governor's Press Office