New State Grant Will Provide Body Cameras For Each Berkeley Police Officer

by Patricia A. Miller

Every Berkeley Township police officer will soon be outfitted with a body camera, thanks to a grant from the state Attorney General’s Office, Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said.

“This grant will enable our police department to purchase and update our current body-worn cameras,” the mayor said. “I would like to thank all agencies involved for their assistance in securing this grant.”

Berkeley is one of four law enforcement agencies in Ocean County to receive the grants and one out of 176 departments througout the state, he said.

Some Berkeley police officers have been wearing the cameras since 2012.

“They were rotated between the officers,” Amato said. “Now with the grant each officer, including our special officers, will have one.”

The state will distribute $2.5 million to the 176 departments - all from criminal forfeiture funds - to buy 5,000 cameras for the selected departments, Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said.

The technology will “promote transparency, mutual accountability and trust between the police and the community,” Hoffman said.

The state invited police agencies to apply for the funds through the county prosecutors offices on July 28. Most of the agencies received funding for all of the body cameras they requested. A full list of the awards can be found at www.njpublicsafety.com.