Body camera to soon be issued to parking officer

The Warwick Village Board plans to issue a body-worn camera to its parking enforcement officer following the adoption of a body-worn camera policy at the Dec. 15 Warwick Village Board meeting.

Trustee Barry Cheney clarified over email that the body-worn camera will be issued to the parking enforcement officer shortly after training is conducted and said there are no plans to issue body-worn cameras to other employees.

The Warwick Town Police, which serves the Village of Warwick, adopted a body-worn policy for its officers in 2022. During the meeting, Mayor Michael Newhard thanked Warwick Police Chief John Rader for his help in ensuring a smooth activation of the policy within the village.

The village also confirmed the dedication of and ownership of Beth Court, Laura Lane, Melissa Court and Rachel Drive and that will accept legal and maintenance responsibility for these roadways. Cheney explained during the meeting that this move was important to the village because it impacts how much funding the village can get through New York State’s Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS).

Trustee Carly Foster provided an update on the village’s plans to improve roadway safety, particularly at gateways to the village where dramatic speed changes often occur. Foster shared methods including adding artistic elements, altering the shape of the roadway and adding signage to remind drivers to reduce speed in these areas. She said work would not begin until the weather was warmer and that the process was still in its planning phase.

Newhard commented on the efforts the hamlet of Sugar Loaf has done to improve pedestrian safety including installing new sidewalks and speed humps.

In related news, Trustee Thomas McKnight shared that the village received two more grant-funded speed signs, bringing the total to five. He noted that at the time of the meeting only three were responding, and that these signs were important for capturing data.