Public wins access to police videos after NJ judge rules they’re subject to open records laws
October 10, 2014, 11:39 PM Last updated: Friday, October 10, 2014, 11:50 PM
By MICHAEL PHILLIS
State house Bureau
The Record
Videos recorded by police cameras should be made available to the public under the state’s open records laws, a Superior Court judge ruled in two separate trial court opinions released Friday.
The rulings are part of the emerging legal framework concerning who can access videos made by police. The use of police cameras is set to expand in New Jersey. Governor Christie signed a law last month that mandates police wear body cameras or have them installed in new cars primarily used for traffic stops. In addition, a state senator has said he will introduce legislation to equip all patrol officers in the state with body cameras.
Friday’s rulings stemmed from two Ocean County cases and featured similar facts — someone was pulled over by an officer driving a cruiser equipped with a dashboard video camera. In each case, a member of the public had questions about the circumstances of the police stop and requested a copy of the tape — a request that local officials denied.
New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act allows members of the public to ask for records unless those records fall under any of the law’s 21 exceptions. Superior Court Judge Vincent J. Grasso said the recordings must be released. Representatives for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said appeals are planned.
Formal rules for how the footage from police cameras will be stored and shared are still being developed. Friday’s rulings are not the first of their kind in the state, but they are part of a small series of decisions aimed at established police cameras’ practical use.
Really is amazing why elected officials want to keep everything hidden.