Bill Text: NJ A105 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates video camera grant program in DLPS for municipalities; makes an appropriation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee [A105 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A105-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman PETER J. BIONDI
District 16 (Morris and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Creates video camera grant program in DLPS for municipalities; makes an appropriation.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act to assist local law enforcement agencies in the purchase of certain equipment and supplementing chapter 17B of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is hereby established in the Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of Law and Public Safety a video camera and audio recording equipment matching grant program. Grants shall be made available to municipal police departments that apply to assist in the purchase of video cameras and audio recording equipment for municipal police vehicles or to reimburse municipal police departments for public funds other than State funds that have been expended for the purchase of video cameras and audio recording equipment for police cars. Grants shall fund the cost of one video camera and audio recording unit per municipality.
b. The Director of the Division of Criminal Justice shall establish guidelines concerning, but not limited to, applications for funding, grantee accountability, specifications of equipment eligible for grant funding, and reasonable prices for equipment. Grants shall be awarded in a manner to ensure that video cameras and audio recording equipment are distributed throughout the State on a fair and impartial basis.
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Law and Public Safety the sum of $1,652,000 to effectuate the purposes of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a matching grant program in the Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of Law and Public Safety for the purpose of providing a police vehicle video camera and audio recording unit for municipal police departments. Grants would be available to assist municipalities in purchasing such equipment or to reimburse those that have already purchased it. The grants would cover the cost of one vehicle video camera and audio recording unit per municipality.
The police vehicle video camera and audio equipment would be used to record police stops and ensure police officer accountability. Video footage of police stops can also provide evidence to assist in the prosecution of criminals. The recording of traffic stops also protects police officers from false accusations.
Grant applications would be submitted according to guidelines established by the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice. Grants would be awarded in a manner to ensure that video cameras and audio equipment are distributed throughout the State on a fair and impartial basis.
This bill appropriates $1,652,000 to the Department of Law and Public Safety for the program. This amount represents the funds necessary to provide one vehicle video camera and accompanying audio recording unit to the 472 municipal police departments in this State at an estimated cost of $3,500 per installation.
