BEACON – The cities of Poughkeepsie and Newburgh have adopted right to know legislation requiring police officers to identify themselves at the beginning of an interaction with a member of the public and if no arrest or summons is issued, hand the individual a business card.
In the City of Beacon, Acting Chief William Cornett and Mayor Lee Kyriacou have decided to issue an order requiring that practice by all officers immediately.
Kyriacou said it adds to the transparency that is needed when dealing with officers.
“My two cents is this is the right thing. It is like cameras where we were an early local adopter of body cameras because transparency helps everyone and builds trust. Our officers work tirelessly to protect everyone in Beacon. People should know who they are, but not only for that reason, but if there is a concern, they need to know exactly who was involved and how to proceed,” he said.
The business cards will include the officer’s name, rank and badge number.
“This is the right thing to do and we don’t need a law to tell us that,” Acting Chief Cornett said.