The Niagara Falls Police Department received major upgrades in law enforcement technology, thanks to more than a million dollars in New York State funding.
The money helped pay for drones, mobile surveillance cameras and upgrades to jail and interview room technology.
State officials say overall index crime in Niagara Falls fell 27% between January and May compared with the same period in 2022, while violent crime fell 47%.
"One shooting is one too many in our communities. These investments, paired with local efforts on the ground, are making a real difference in keeping New Yorkers safe across the state of New York," Joe Popcun, executive deputy commissioner of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, said Monday.
Niagara Falls Police Superintendent Nicholas Ligammari explained how some of the new technology can help locate missing people and suspects more quickly. He used a recent example of tracking a suspect in a domestic violence incident who had fled the scene.
“We were looking for him for 45 minutes; couldn't find him," Ligammari said. "The drone went up, found him in literally three minutes hiding in a backyard and we were able to take him into custody that way. So, things like that — it's almost like a force multiplier, and it really helps us."
The police superintendent said one of the department's biggest current public safety concerns is large gatherings involving teenagers that sometimes erupt into violence.
When asked whether drones would be used in those situations, he said yes: police can use them to monitor crowds of 400 or 500 people when only a handful of officers are initially available.
While state officials emphasized safeguards surrounding the technology, Ligammari acknowledged there are still aspects of how data generated by the systems is handled that he is continuing to learn about.
“I don’t know enough about exactly where the data goes and things of that nature," he said. "I know here my officers are going to use it correctly and they’re going to be monitored.”
In addition to the tech advancements, Ligammari also offered perspective about the public safety concerns cited in Mayor Robert Restaino’s State of Emergency declaration.
Ligammari said poor road conditions, overgrowth obstructing signs and intersections, and people entering abandoned buildings can all create problems for police.
“I know the fire department has some issues as well, but for us, we'd like to see the roads in better condition. We like to see the neighborhoods with grass and overgrown trees and things like that taken care of," he said.
Restaino didn't take questions about his State of Emergency declaration at the press conference, but he later told BTPM News those conditions themselves are not new. He says the emergency was prompted after the City Council failed to approve additional road-paving and grass-cutting contracts in July, allowing his administration to move forward with those contracts outside the normal Council approval process.
