Albany leaders weigh police hiring against investments in drones and camera technology

City of Albany officials and police leaders on June 3 outlined persistent staffing challenges and technological investments the department says will help patrols respond faster, even as at least one resident urged the commission to prioritize hiring more sworn officers.

Chief Johnson (Albany Police Department) told the commission the department’s clearance rates have been strong and that monthly crime reports ranged from 561 in February to 665 in April. He said homicide investigations from January to May included multiple active cases and some arrests, and he described declines in gunshot-detection activations since January.

The chief and Major Victor Camp described a range of technology the department is expanding. That list included Raven gunshot detection, Flock…