Ten County Police Agencies Get Body Camera Funding

TRENTON – Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced Dec. 21 $2.5 million in awards for 176 police departments across New Jersey to buy body-worn cameras for their officers. Ten agencies in Cape May County were part of the funding.
The awards, made with criminal forfeiture funds, will support purchases of more than 5,000 body cameras and will put New Jersey in the forefront in the U.S in embracing this technology to promote transparency, mutual accountability, and trust between police and the community, according to a release.
Acting Attorney General Hoffman announced the availability of the $2.5 million on July 28 and invited police agencies to apply for the funds through the county prosecutors. Today, he announced the specific awards by agency. Most of the agencies received funding for all of the body cameras they requested. A full list of the awards by agency is posted with this press release at www.njpublicsafety.com.
In Cape May County, departments that requested and received funding for number of cameras:
Avalon, 20, 20, $10,000; Lower Township 46, 46, $23,000; Middle Township 55/48, $24,000; Ocean City, 19, 19, $9,500;
Sea Isle City, 10, 10, $5,000; Sheriff’s Department, 6, 6, $3,000; Stone Harbor, 10-, 10, $5,000; North Wildwood, 20, 20, $10,000; Wildwood, 39, 39, $19,500, Wildwood Crest, 6, 6, $3,000.
 “We’re gratified that we’re fully meeting nearly every request we received for the purchase of body cameras,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “There is a sea change happening right now across New Jersey as law enforcement leaders recognize how these powerful devices serve the interest of both police and the community.”
At the same time that he announced the funding for body cameras, Hoffman issued a statewide policy designed to promote best practices and uniformity in using the devices. The new policy, which guides police departments statewide that decide to deploy body cameras, establishes foundational requirements while allowing individual police departments to tailor policies to local needs.
In drafting the policy, the Attorney General’s Office analyzed policies in use in municipalities in New Jersey and other states, studied materials from the Police Executive Research Forum, and hosted a conference in April for police departments already using body cameras or making plans to deploy them.