Government Briefs 08.25.16

East Hampton Town

Seek Police Body Cameras, Training

Representing a new citizens group called Current, Louis Myrick spoke to the East Hampton Town Board last Thursday about earmarking money in the upcoming year’s budget to buy body cameras for town police.

Current, Mr. Myrick said, is “dedicated to truth, reconciliation, and positive change.” In light of issues across the country regarding “misuse of force by certain members of law enforcement,” he said, “we wanted to have a conversation with you all about allowing, in the budget, for the Police Department to have a pilot program” that would test the use of body cameras and offer “training in de-escalation.”

He asked for time at an upcoming town board meeting to provide further information about the rationale for the idea and support for it. Supervisor Larry Cantwell said that a presentation would be fine, and suggested that, in addition, Mr. Myrick might meet with East Hampton Town Police Chief Mike Sarlo.

A Spinner Lane C.P.F. Buy

Also at its meeting last Thursday, the town board authorized the purchase of four acres on Spinner Lane in East Hampton from Timothy Healy and Gail McAdoo for open space using $1.8 million from the community preservation fund. The seller will remove a house and a pool on a portion of the property before the sale.