Newark Cops, Marked Cars Will Have Cameras By 2018: Ambrose

NEWARK, NJ — All of Newark’s police officers and marked cruisers will be equipped with cameras by 2018, the city’s public safety director announced Wednesday.

Currently, plans are for each Newark police officer on duty to be equipped with their own camera, just the same as they are outfitted with guns, badges and radios. The data contained in the officer’s cameras will automatically download into a secure server, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

The cameras were partly purchased with a $382,000 grant, Ambrose said.

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Ambrose said that the acquisition of cameras is a “necessary investment that will have a positive impact on building and restoring public trust.” He added that by recording police-citizen encounters, a “permanent and accurate account of what transpired” is created.

The inclusion of police camera technology will hopefully also be able to “identify officer deficiencies and training needs before they result in costly lawsuits,” Ambrose stated.

Cameras are useful tools that can be used to document evidence and assist in preventing and resolving complaints brought by members of the public, Ambrose said.

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Photo: City of Newark Press Office, Flickr

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