Utica seeks $250,000 for tasers, ballistic protection, drone and forensic tools after recent incidents

Vice Chair Robinson presented the City of Utica’s request for $250,000 on June 11 for upgraded police equipment including new tasers, rifle‑rated ballistic panels, shields, a drone with thermal imaging, a handheld drug‑identification device (TrueNarc) and a Faro 3D laser scanner for crash reconstruction.

Chief Matt Klusnick said Utica is a small city (about 2.2 square miles) with significant through traffic and that a recent “suicide by cop”‑type incident demonstrated the limitations of older taser models that provide only a single‑shot deployment. He said the department currently can’t train with obsolete tasers and that upgraded devices (Taser 10) offer multiple deployable cartridges to increase the chance of a non‑lethal resolution.

Nut graf: The chief framed the request as both officer and community safety: tasers for safer de‑escalation, ballistic panels and shields to protect officers and citizens during active‑threat responses, and drone and forensic tools to improve searches and accident reconstructions.

The department requested 10 tasers, 16 rifle‑rated ballistic panels for daily wear, five shields (one per patrol unit), one TrueNarc scanner and one drone. Chief Klusnick said some items will remain station‑based while others (ballistic panels) would be carried by officers.

Ending: Committee members asked about quantities and whether the package covered all needs; the chief said the $250,000 figure covered the bundle as submitted and the department would seek additional funds if needed.