Chatham Body Cam Funds In + Town Hall On Options For P.O. Plaza

CHATHAM BOROUGH, NJ — Funding for New Jersey's mandated body-worn cameras has reached Chatham Borough where acceptance of the state grant will become official at a special meeting of the Borough Council March 30.

Also planned for the meeting is a Town Hall to present development ideas for the Post Office Plaza and take public comment, according to a notice from Chatham Borough administration.

Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation in November 2020 requiring all law enforcement in New Jersey to wear body cameras, citing the need for increased transparency and in the interest of improving interactions with the public.

Chatham Borough Council will vote on March 30 on acceptance of the SFY21 Body-Worn Camera Grant from the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, and Office of the Attorney General, according to the Borough's meeting notice.

Chatham Borough Administrator Stephen Williams said the grant amount for Chatham Borough is $50,950. The grant program provides law enforcement agencies with funding to purchase body-worn cameras, as well as ancillary accessories and storage, the official state grant application explains.

Under the bill, officers would be required to keep the camera activated when responding to a call for service or when initiating any 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.

Council will formally vote on receipt of the grant in a special meeting of the Mayor and Borough Council of the Borough of Chatham at the Chatham Middle School auditorium, 480 Main St., Chatham, on March 30, at 7:30 p.m. The Borough's notice said the meeting is in-person and open to the public.

Council will also consider hiring David Morel as a full-time serviceperson in the Department of Public Works, and vote on other items.

Special Meeting Includes Town Hall On Post Office Plaza Options

Chatham Borough Council and Mayor Thaddeus J. Kobylarz will also hold a Town Hall meeting on the potential redevelopment options for the Post Office Plaza site. The public will have the opportunity to comment on the options, but no formal action will be taken on the Post Office Plaza redevelopment, a notice from the administrator's office said.

Russ Crespolini contributed to this report.

Get your local news! Subscribe to Patch.