Rutgers University Police Testing Out New Body Camera Tech

The Rutgers University Police Department is testing out new body cameras. According to the email sent to members of the Rutgers community from Rutgers’ Executive Director of Public Safety Kenneth Cop, the department will begin testing out the cameras with fourteen officers. If testing goes well, the body cameras will be fitted on all officers just in time for the start of the school year this fall.

The cameras will be turned on by officers during dispatched or self-initiated calls. Supervisors will be able to review the videos to analyze police interactions with the public and create officer training programs to improve how the officers are working in the field. The footage collected by the body cameras will also give the department more video evidence in investigations.

According to My Central Jersey, the Rutgers Police Department received $62,500 for 125 body cameras from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Body Worn Camera Assistance Program. The program gives approximately $2.9 million for 5,023 cameras for 176 police departments in New Jersey.

Students appear to be on board with the new initiative. According to a report by NBC New York, 17-year Rutgers force veteran Sgt. Bryant Meyers believes the body cameras will bring a new level of professionalism for the police department and more transparency to the public.

Should police departments at all colleges and universities follow suit and start using body cameras? Let us know your opinions in our comments below and with our social media links.