Princeton Approves More Than $100K For New Police Equipment

PRINCETON, NJ – Princeton Town Council voted unanimously to approve more than $100,000 in police equipment at the council meeting held Tuesday night.

The police department will receive $108,351 to purchase mobile data terminals, that will support body cameras worn by law enforcement officers.

“The current terminals were so old that the software for the camera systems didn’t work on them,” said mayor Mark Freda.

Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation in November 2020, mandating all New Jersey law enforcement officers to wear body cameras.

“This is an update for what the police have in their cars and also I think interfaces with the body worn cameras they have been adopting,” said councilwoman Eve Niedergang.

The new equipment will also be useful for license plate recognition at the permit parking system, when the town eventually moves to that phase, said councilwoman Leticia Fraga.

The data terminals will be purchased from a company named Island Tech Services. The base price for each data terminal is $3,353.

According to the law signed by Murphy, every uniformed state, county, and municipal patrol law enforcement officer will need to wear a body camera.

"We've made it clear that New Jersey will be second-to-none in enacting vital reforms to promote transparency and boost public confidence in law enforcement," Murphy had said.

Read More Here: Gov. Murphy Signs Body Camera Mandates For All NJ Police Into Law

Murphy said body cameras were a wise "all-around investment in public safety that not only redouble our commitment to transparency and accountability, but also ensure that members of law enforcement are equipped with an important tool to help them carry out their sworn duties."

Officers will be required to keep the camera activated when responding to a call for service or when initiating a law enforcement or investigative encounter.

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news.