Police Reform

EO203 Overview

For over 125 years the Amityville Police Department has been serving its residents with pride in a community-oriented approach. The mission of the Amityville Police Department is to enhance the quality of life in our Village by working in partnership with the community and in accordance with the constitutional rights to enforce laws, preserve the peace, reduce fear and provide a safe environment for the residents and persons passing through.

The Office of the Village of Amityville Mayor and the Amityville Village Police Department are developing a plan pursuant to NYS Executive Order 203 ("EO203"). This plan is being developed after a comprehensive review of police force policies, procedures and practices through consultation with community stakeholders. The goal for this plan is to enable the Amityville Village Police Department to continue its community-oriented policing strategies while working towards further reducing racial disparities in policing.

In accordance with the mandates of EO203 and the guidance provided by NYS relating to the Executive Order, the Village of Amityville is engaged in a collaborative effort with community stakeholders. Mayor Dennis Siry established the Amityville Village Police Advisory Committee (AVPDAC). The Village of Amityville has been and continues to hold its AVPDAC meetings in order to address issues related to police reform. Mayor Dennis Siry and Chief of Police Bryan O. Burton, Jr. are considering issues raised by the community and intend to include them in this plan.

Public Transperancy

In accordance with EO203 and committee requests, updated Policy sections, documents and reports will be posted on the Department webpage. If you have any suggestions, concerns or ideas relating to Police Reform, please send them to via email to the mayor. Please indicate Police Reform in the subject line. Open public meetings are being scheduled and are designed to provide a means by which the Village of Amityville is able to gather valuable input from our residents and neighbors. Additionally, a public survey is being conducted in an effort to gather the publics thoughts. The information collected will be considered when drafting this plan.

Police Department Community Survey

Commitment

The Amityville Village Police Department is engaging in this collaborative effort while conducting a full review of department policies and procedures. It is also entered into the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. The AVPD has begun making modifications to its policies and procedures from the information it has gathered from the AVPDAC and the Accreditation Program. When fully drafted the plan will reflect the Village of Amityville and the AVPD's commitment to serving all the people of our community both equally and fairly. The AVPD is attempting to address the issues presented in the NYS guidance relating to transparency and racial disparity outlined in EO203. The Village of Amityville understands the need to address its relationships between the AVPD, our residents and the good people who pass through. The Village is committed to fostering trust, fairness, and legitimacy while working towards reducing racial disparities.

It is important to have law enforcement, community members, and elected officials work together to build mutual trust and respect. The Village and the AVPD acknowledge that this important work does not end with the submission of this document but rather must be an ongoing effort to continuously improve relations between the AVPD and the communities the Department serves.

Chief of Police Open Comments

Amityville Village Mayor Dennis Siry and Chief of Police Bryan O. Burton, Jr. would like to acknowledge and thank the community stakeholders and representatives who participated in the collaboration with the APD that resulted in the formation of this plan.

After a review of the Amityville Police Department's Procedures, we have made some modifications, modernizations and innovations. These changes are published on the Amityville Village website.

  1. APD Police Reform Plan Exhibits Part 1 (PDF)
  2. APD Police Reform Plan Exhibits Part 2 (PDF)
  3. Compliment and Complaint Form 03-11-2021 (PDF)
  4. Department Owned Cell Phones Language Line (PDF)
  5. Detailed Survey 03-08-2021 (PDF)
  6. Hate Crimes Policy (PDF)
  1. Internal Affairs Investigations and Use of Force Investigations (PDF)
  2. Personnel Complaints Policy (PDF)
  3. Police Reform Final 03-18-2021 (PDF)
  4. Special Order on Crowd Control (PDF)
  5. Special Order Prohibiting Choke Holds (PDF)

New Special Order

New Special Order on law updates concerning:

  • Civil Rights Law: Bias-related violence or intimidation; civil remedy, Medical Attention for Persons Under Arrest, Right to Record Law Enforcement Related Activities
  • Executive Law: Office of Special Investigation, Reporting Duties of Law Enforcement Departments with respect to Arrest-Related Deaths, Report of Discharge of Weapon
  • Penal Law: Aggravated Strangulation, Loitering
  • New Department goal statement to introduce the use of body-worn cameras.
  • New department goal statement of collecting and posting of traffic stop data.
  • New department goal statement for use of force posting.
  • New training in areas of bias, Principled Policing-Procedural Justice and de-escalation techniques.
  • New training on Re-Imagining Police.
  • Expansion of the School Resource Officer program into a Youth Police Initiative.
  • Participation in the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. View Letter for Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (PDF).
  • Purchasing of LEXIPOL to implement training and policy updates.

Police Reform Public Meetings

Recordings of the Village's February 16th and 23rd, 2021 Police Reform Plan Public Meetings on the following links. Any questions or comments can be sent to via email to the mayor.