Monroe County Executive Adam Bello delivered the State of Public Safety Address on Monday, the second of four addresses he will deliver throughout June.
Bello touted investments in the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, including new personnel, positions, and the enhancement of cross-jurisdictional collaboration as a result of $7.3 million in funding announced last year to modernize the office.
The county executive says the funding will go toward:
- A new class for the Sheriff's Office starting Monday with 33 recruits
- Enhanced coverage in the community and at the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport
- An additional juvenile crime investigator and a newly created countywide crime coordinator
- Support for the Regional Investigative Operations Center that will use technology to enhance and coordinate criminal investigations across multiple jurisdictions
He also announced that the Juvenile Enhanced Diversion Stabilization (JEDS) will expand by doubling the length of its stabilization period from two weeks to four weeks. This comes, in part, thanks to a $1 million investment from Gov. Kathy Hochul to enhance efforts that reduce juvenile crime.
The county will also invest in new 3D ballistics technology that officials say can assist in solving more crimes and potentially uncover leads for cold cases and investigations where shell casings were missing at the scene of the crime.
Bello also announced that the county’s portion of funds collected from violations of the BusPatrol camera system, which captures video of motorists who pass school buses when the red lights are flashing and the stop arms are down, will be reinvested in traffic safety initiatives and programs.
The county executive will deliver the State of Workforce and Economic Development on Monday, June 17.
A full outline of Monday's address can be found here: