Gov. Murphy Signs Body Camera Mandates For All NJ Police Into Law

NEW JERSEY — Citing the need for increased transparency and in the interest of improving interactions with the public, Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation Tuesday morning requiring all New Jersey law enforcement to wear body cameras.

Murphy signed one law that requires every uniformed state, county, and municipal patrol law enforcement officer to wear a body worn camera, subject to funding appropriated by the Legislature.

Exceptions are permitted for officers engaged in undercover assignments, meeting with confidential informants, performing administrative or non-uniformed duties, and when directed by a superior officer for a lawful purpose.

“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,” said Murphy. “Body worn cameras are 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."

Murphy also signed a bill into law that regulates the use of body worn cameras by law enforcement officers. Under the bill, officers would be required to keep the camera activated when responding to a call for service or when initiating a law enforcement or investigative encounter.

When immediate activation of the camera is impossible or dangerous, an officer would be required to activate the camera at the first reasonable opportunity to do so. Officers would be required to notify subjects that the camera is activated and, under certain conditions, may deactivate a camera upon the subject’s request.

To protect the privacy of civilians in sensitive situations, the bill limits the use of body worn cameras while officers are on school property, in medical facilities, and in houses of worship

Murphy also noted that there were provisions in the new "law of the land" that would protect the sanctity of schools, hospitals and houses of worship.

Speaking over a Zoom conference, Murphy introduced a panel of speakers involved in the development and promoting of the bills, including Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver who noted that nearly half of the law enforcement agencies already employ body cameras.

“New Jersey has made great strides to promote a greater degree of professionalism, accountability, and transparency within our law enforcement agencies, and our state is committed to ensuring that our officers feel supported when they are in the line of duty,” said Oliver, who serves as Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. “This legislation being signed today is about developing greater accountability and establishing trust between police officers and the people who rely on them every day to keep our communities safe.”

The speakers, who included Sen. Shirley Turner and Attorney General Gurbir Grewal noted that this is a major step and Turner and Oliver both noted that not only would the cameras increase accountability for officers, but it will protect officers from frivolous complaints and save taxpayers from the expense of frivolous lawsuits.

For his part, Grewal called the move "truly transformational," noting that New Jersey it committed to addressing the issues in law enforcement and that these cameras are part of that strategy.

"We are in the midst of a national reckoning on racial justice, which has highlighted a lack of trust between law enforcement and many of the communities we serve," said Grewal. "Since day one, we have been committed to rebuilding and strengthening that trust, and we know that body worn cameras are an important tool in those efforts. They encourage professionalism, promote better interactions between police and the public, and have been universally welcomed by agencies across our state."

Included in the signings was an executive order that establishing a working group to provide recommendations to Murphy's office and to the Attorney General's Office on technology solutions to facilitate the implementation of statewide body cameras.

"This doesn't mean we don't have a long way to go. But this is a big step in the right direction," Murphy said.

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store.