Know Your Rights
Body-Camera Footage
Most New Jersey patrol officers must wear body cameras. The footage can be the most important evidence in a police misconduct case - ask for it right away.
Why It Matters
Video Tells the Story
A New Jersey law signed in 2020 requires uniformed patrol officers to wear body-worn cameras. When police reports and video disagree, the video usually wins.
In one case reported on this site, surveillance video and witness statements contradicted a correctional officer’s report that an inmate had threatened him; the officer later pleaded guilty. See Assaulted by a police officer? Seek justice.
How to Get It
Three Ways to Get the Footage
Ask for it to be preserved - now
Footage is not kept forever. A lawyer can send the department a letter asking it to preserve every recording of the incident.
Request the records
Under New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA) you can request records, including some video. Footage may be withheld while an investigation is open.
Get it in the lawsuit
Once a civil rights case is filed, the footage can be obtained through the court’s discovery process.
The Debate
Should Officers Watch the Video Before Writing Reports?
In December 2021 the New Jersey Assembly unanimously passed a bill that would let officers review body-camera footage before writing their reports. Supporters said reports would be more accurate; the ACLU of New Jersey argued that officers should not review footage before filing reports, because seeing the video can change what a witness remembers.