NJ Police Departments Will Receive Funding for Police Body Cameras
Police departments in New Jersey are going to be given the funds needed to purchase 1,000 more body cameras for patrol officers by the end of the year. Police body cameras have been found to help when attempting to determine exactly what happened during an arrest for a criminal offense. The importance of the use of body cameras by police officers has been highlighted in recent days as citizens across the country have called for video footage of the events immediately preceding police shootings in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Charlotte, North Carolina.
The funding for the NJ police body cameras will come from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. The total amount of money being provided is $550K. This comes on top of the $2.5 million that the NJ Attorney General’s Office distributed to local law enforcement agencies in 2015 to purchase 5,000 body cameras.
Despite the recent financial support for police body cameras in New Jersey, very few of the state’s police departments currently have access to the costly devices. In South Jersey, the Atlantic City Police Department, the Lower Township Police Department, and the Wildwood Police Department equip officers with body cameras.
Body cameras serve an important function for law enforcement by allowing police to record their interactions with the public, including potentially dangerous situations that require arrests. NJ Attorney General Christopher Porrino said that police officers like using the body cameras because doing so allows them “to build public trust through accountability.”
When deciding which police departments will receive body cameras, the state will consider certain factors, including the population of the municipality and the crime rate in the municipality.
To learn more, check out the Press of Atlantic City article, “State to Buy 1,000 More Police Body Cameras.”
If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in New Jersey, you need to talk to a qualified criminal defense attorney immediately. The experienced criminal defense lawyers at the Law Offices of John W. Tumelty are prepared to help you fight your criminal charges and avoid the most severe penalties. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.