All New Jersey State Police troopers on road patrol will be wearing body cameras by October, state officials said.
It comes as protests continue around the country focused on systemic racism and police brutality, calling for transparency in law enforcement.
Attorney General Gurbir Grewal has said he supports the use of body cameras by police and previously estimated that all state troopers on road patrol would have the equipment by mid-2019.
But authorities said problems with the vendor forced the state police to buy from a different company and caused the delay.
“The previous [body-worn camera] vendor, L3, experienced significant hardware and software challenges that undermined its product’s reliability including issues with breakage, battery length and storage capacity,” said Sharon Lauchaire, a spokesperson for the attorney general’s office. “While the vendor was working toward an updated product, significant delays and staff turnover resulted in the decision to obtain a new vendor.”
New Jersey State Police Troops A, B, and C — which cover the southern, northern, and central regions of the state — already have body cameras.