Facing criticism, New Jersey lawmaker may change bill shielding police video from public

Facing scrutiny and criticism from civil rights and open government groups, a leading state lawmaker said Tuesday he was considering changes to proposed legislation that would shield police video and 911 recordings from the public.

"This is a work in progress," state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen) said of his bill (S788), which would exempt such recordings and transcripts from the New Jersey's Open Public Records Act, during a transparency forum hosted by the Bergen County chapter of the NAACP.

The measure, introduced at the beginning of the legislative session, comes as police departments across the state are beginning to use body-worn camera technology amid a national climate of scrutiny of police shootings. Continue…

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