NEWTON — Rep. Josh Gottheimer, the North Jersey Democrat, said he's building support for legislation in Congress to provide $50 million annually for training, body cameras and other needs at local police departments.
His bill in the U.S. House of Representatives is an effort to help small municipal departments of fewer than 200 members and the towns that support them, which, by their nature, don't have large budgets.
Speaking in front of Newton police headquarters, joined by many of the town's officers and representatives of the New Jersey State Troopers Non-Commissioned Officers Association, Gottheimer said 29 Democrats and 17 Republicans have already signed on as co-sponsors of the bill, with commitments from several others in the House and interest from U.S. senators to sponsor legislation in that chamber.
Gottheimer, who represents the state's 5th Congressional District, said there are 75 or more police departments in the district that would benefit from the financial aid and that "95% of police departments in this country would fall under this bill as well."
The bill covers both local police and county sheriffs' departments and would be administered by the office within the federal Department of Justice that handles grants and other financial aid programs for local police.
Training, while necessary, can get expensive and have ripple effects for the entire department, said Newton Chief Steven VanNieuwland.
The problem for small departments is that if officers need training to keep current or to upgrade skills, they either have to go to school when not on patrol, meaning they get overtime, or, if they are on the clock, another officer needs to work overtime to cover that shift.
In such departments, just a handful of officers might be on duty for each shift, said VanNieuwland. On a shift of five or six patrol officers, losing just one could leave the department shorthanded, he said.
Even when covering a minor accident, there's a need for traffic control as well as the investigating officer to take the report.
FUNDING FOR CAMERAS, MENTAL HEALTH
The grants would also go toward the cost of new or upgraded body camera systems. In Newton, department policy requires that the camera be turned on for any sort of contact with the public, and even as simple an encounter as stopping and issuing a traffic ticket could produce several minutes of video.
VanNieuwland said the department "burns" CDs of body camera footage and keeps those CDs for at least 180 days, as mandated by the state.
"We find it more cost-effective," the chief said. "Some departments use the cloud, and that can get expensive."
In addition, there are several vendors of cameras and storage equipment, each with its own system and format.
The legislation would also underwrite some expenses for mental health counseling for department personnel. More funding would go toward increased training for officers on how to de-escalate tense situations involving the public, especially those with their own mental health issues.
The bill also includes money for recruitment and retention bonuses, Gottheimer added.
Also speaking at the ceremony was Daniel Oliveira, president of the NCO association.
He said that although the state police are not eligible for aid under the bill, troopers often respond to calls for assistance from small departments and work closely with them. More than half the municipalities in Sussex and Warren counties rely on state police.
"We see this as a way for these officers to get more and better training," Oliveira said. "When we are at a scene, we then know they have had the same training as we have."
"Local departments are stretched thin," Gottheimer said. "And the more overtime [an officer is working], the more stress."
Gottheimer's district stretches across northern and western New Jersey, touching parts of Bergen, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties. He'll be up for reelection this fall, along with the rest of the House.
Republicans will choose their candidate in the June 7 primary.
Correction: A previous version of this story included an inaccurate number of cosponsors for Rep. Gottheimer's legislation.
Original source can be found here.
