3 cities to add police body cams

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - New Jersey's three largest cities are moving ahead with plans to outfit their police officers with body cameras, possibly as early as the fall.

The mayors of Newark, Jersey City, and Paterson announced Friday that they had issued requests for proposals from vendors. The bids are due back by May 14.

Last summer, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, and Paterson Mayor Jose Torres said they would collaborate on numerous public safety issues, including the purchasing of equipment in order to save money.

The state Department of Community Affairs in December approved the joint purchasing plan, which allows the cities to buy the cameras.

Camden, too, plans to equip officers with cameras, County Police Chief Scott Thomson has said, though he did not give a start date.

Jersey City Police Director James Shea said the city was formulating guidelines in conjunction with the state Attorney General's Office regarding when and how the cameras can be used and what footage can be saved.

Shea said a primary issue was the cost of storing footage from the cameras.

"The bottom line is we know it's a good policy, we know citizens feel good about them and that it makes them feel good when police officers are using them," he said. "It's pretty much a win-win. The only question is how we're going to pay for it."

Since the announcement of the three cities' partnership in July, they have already embarked on public safety strategies such as police intelligence sharing.