The Lambertville City Police Department will receive $4,500 from the N.J. Attorney General’s Office as part of $2.5 million in criminal forfeiture funds it has allocated to help local police departments throughout the state purchase body worn video cameras.
All told, police departments throughout Hunterdon County will share a grant worth $53,500 to buy body cams. The Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office in August 2015 applied for the Attorney General’s grant program, through which police departments could receive $500 per camera device.
A quick online check revealed video device systems costing around $350 each on average, with some low-end sellers offering cameras with night vision for only $200. But the kicker is data storage expense — all that video footage has to be stored, even if merely depicting an officer’s daily duties, and that can cost $50 or more per month for each device.
“The use of body worn video camera technology will provide value in enhancing officer safety, reduction of liability, assist with prosecution and case resolution, and further promote professionalism and accountability,” Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns said in a press release.
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