FY21 Body-Worn Camera (BWC) Policy and Implementation Program

The New Jersey State Police (NJSP) is a premier law-enforcement agency that is nationally recognized by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).  If awarded with this grant opportunity, the NJSP would benefit tremendously. 

The NJSP Operations Support Unit (OSU), under the supervision of the Information Technology Bureau (ITB), would outfit all road Troopers with an assigned body-worn camera (BWC) from its current vendor.  The previous BWC infrastructure allowed for Troopers to share BWCs during day and night shifts, and the constant wear and tear, as well as poorly designed BWCs, hindered the program’s ability to achieve projected goals.  The NJSP has revamped the program with new BWC devices, docks, and mounts to maintain a BWC program that other agencies can expect to model after.

With the State of New Jersey Office of Attorney General Directive 2015-1 titled “Police Body Worn Cameras (BWC)” and NJSP Operations Instruction 18-31 titled “Body Worn Cameras”, New Jersey, as well as the NJSP, has already implemented policies and procedures that are followed by all NJSP Troopers.  Specialized Units such as the Management Awareness Personnel Performance System (MAPPS) Unit, Risk Management Office (RMO), Office of Law Enforcement Professional Standards (OLEPS) within the Office of the Attorney General, and the Quality Assurance Review & Auditing Unit have truly changed the manner in which patrol practices have evolved, and have ensured positive and professional interactions with the public.

If the NJSP is awarded this year’s BJA federal grant award, the funds will be utilized for the purchase of additional 1300 BWCs for all non-uniformed Troopers throughout the Division of State Police. It is imperative that the NJSP stays proactive in maintaining an optimal level of efficiency in running a BWC program for the future.  The NJSP has gathered valuable usage information from its in-depth BWC testing and deployment phases, resulting in the ability to adopt best practices in the deployment of BWC equipment.

The NJSP Superintendent, the New Jersey Attorney General, and local communities are committed to the success of the BWC program, and have invested time and resources to see its continued growth.  The continued federal grants from BJA, along with State funded matches and forfeiture funds, will allow the NJSP to maintain a robust BWC program that will serve the community with a high level of transparency and a renewed confidence in law enforcement activities.