Hamilton Police to Deploy Body Cameras

Hamilton Township Mayor Kelly Yaede, who also serves as the community’s Director of Public Safety, has announced.

Starting November 1st, Hamilton Police Officers in New Jersey’s 9th largest town will begin using body worn cameras.

Earlier this year, Hamilton began a 5-year contract with a private provider TASER Axon for 120 police body cameras, equipment and cloud-based storage services.

“Body cameras will protect both our Police Officers and our residents, building even further upon the high level of cooperation that already exists between our law-abiding citizens and our Police Division,” says Mayor Yaede.

A $60,000 Attorney General Body Worn Camera Grant received from the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office helped to fund the purchase of Hamilton’s body worn cameras, along with funding through the Township’s Capital Budget for long-term assets.

Late last year, Hamilton’s Police Division conducted a pilot-program to test three different body worn camera options, which were all under existing New Jersey State Contracts.  The cameras that Hamilton Police will use was the lowest cost option of the three alternatives and was recommended following a Police Division study that favored the cameras based upon several factors.

“Our community has achieved two, consecutive, historically-low crime rates during the previous two years, which was achieved thanks to our dedicated Police Officers working in cooperation with our residents.  Our new body-worn cameras will be another public safety tool that will help us continue to keep our town and our residents safe,” says Mayor Yaede.

Chief James W. Collins stated, “The use of body worn cameras will provide valuable evidence for prosecutors. Officers wearing body worn cameras will adhere to the NJ Attorney General’s directive regarding activation and use of body worn cameras.”

The cameras will be activated by officers while on assignments when they are interacting with the public. There are several exceptions where officers will not activate the camera such as schools, places of worship, healthcare facilities and court.

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