Grant, forfeiture money to help fund cameras Watch video
NEWARK -- Newark will deploy police car and body cameras to officers across the approximately 1,000-member department by 2018 as the state's largest municipal police force carries out widespread reforms, officials announced.
The cameras will help build trust between police and the community, ensure an accurate record of encounters involving officers, help identify areas where police need more training and prevent costly lawsuits, city Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.
"The public will have more confidence and trust in the police knowing that their encounters with the police are being recorded," Ambrose added.
Cameras will also help capture evidence to investigate claims made against police officers, officials said.
"By recording police-citizen encounters, a permanent and accurate account of what transpired is memorialized," he said.
In-car and body-worn cameras were among a host of measures stemming from a settlement with the federal government and city. A 2014 Department of Justice investigation uncovered unconstitutional policing practices, including improper searches and stops, leading the department to be placed under a federal monitor.
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A $382,000 grant will help offset the cost of the cameras, according to Ambrose, who was tapped in 2015 to lead the city's overhauled Department of Public Safety. The city will also use forfeiture funds to cover the approximately $2 million cost, he said.
Each uniformed officer and supervisors will be assigned a body camera as part of their normal duty gear and the footage automatically downloaded to a server, according to Ambrose. Dashboard cameras will also be installed in marked patrol cars that do not already have the devices.
Newark Fraternal Order of Police President James Stewart Jr. welcomed the cameras and said the union has long advocated for using the technology.
"The State FOP has been out in front of the body camera issue in Trenton as well, testifying before committees to ensure everybody is aware that it is more than just buying cameras, but determining what can be released to the public, what jobs can't be recorded (including in private homes and with juveniles) things like that," Stewart added.
Newark's deployment of cameras faced earlier delays. With the department under a federal monitor, the agency must get approval for its body camera policies and seek bids to supply the cameras, officials said. The department will also launch a pilot program to test the devices before rolling them out to all officers.
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Stewart called the delay "disappointing" but added "we look forward to their implementation because it is our absolute belief that they will aid, not hinder, the great work our cops do out there in the street, day in, and day out."
Last month, the state Attorney General's Office announced more than half a million dollars to fund body cameras for departments around the state. Some police officials have raised concerns over the costs of body cameras, including system to store large digital video files.
Civil liberties groups have also questioned if the public will have access to the footage and if the cameras are used for surveillance.
West Orange, Bloomfield, the Essex County Sheriff's Office and the Rutgers University police are among area departments that have announced plans to use body cameras.
Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.