Amount Requested: $135,000
If granted, this project will have several benefits and have a great impact for the people of the Hudson Valley region.  All the equipment requested will enable the New York State Police dive team to conduct their dive operations much more effectively and efficiently, increasing its ability to more successfully locate various different targets for which it may be asked to look.  In addition, this equipment will be used for any and all infrastructure, security and evaluation of sensitive targets.  Given the times we live in the NYSP dive team is and has been required to serve the people, not only of the Hudson Valley, but of the State of New York as well for all matters ranging from body recovery, evidence recovery, hull searches, underwater explosive detection and any other large scale incidents/disasters such as TWA Flight 800 and the capsizing of the Stellamare  Freighter. 

Although much of this equipment is utilized in a reactive manner, the NYSP believes this equipment can also serve in a proactive function to prevent a catastrophic incident within the Hudson Valley region. Within the Hudson Valley region, the NYSP dive team is responsible for, and/or assists in the response and protection of numerous mass transit venues, such as bridges, tunnels and trains crossing the Hudson River.  These mass transit venues carry millions of commuters throughout the Hudson Valley on a daily basis and any interruption to any one of these venues would create a significant, long term interruption in the social and economic structure of New York State. 

In addition to the above listed responsibilities the NYSP dive team is also entrusted with the safety of major strategic locations such as Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant and the US Military Academy - West Point.  Along with these stationary venues we also have responsibility for national and international maritime freight which navigates the Hudson River waterway from major ports north and south.  These freighters and ports require periodic inspection and search for the detection of any and all drug trafficking, explosive detection and illegal immigrant transporting.

Although the previously mentioned venues are of a large scale, the Hudson River region consists of a vast amount of smaller waterways, reservoirs, lakes and ponds.  These may be of a much smaller volume but require the same amount of attention as the more high profile locations.  Many of these areas are remote in nature so they require a smaller vessel with the same amount of technological advantages that would be needed and desired on the larger bodies of water.  Many of these smaller bodies of water converge to support the reservoirs which supply much of the drinking water to New York City. Many of the items being requested have multiple applications and can be used both individually and jointly to achieve a desired outcome or resolution of an investigation.