LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

ASSEMBLY, No. 2280

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

216th LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: MAY 13, 2014

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Requires certain police vehicles to be equipped with cameras.

Type of Impact:

Municipal expenditure and revenue increase. State and County revenue increase.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Law and Public Safety, Administrative Office of the Courts, and Municipal Police Departments.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Year 1 

Year 2 

Year 3 

 

State Cost

Indeterminate Increase.

 

State Revenue

Indeterminate Increase.

 

Local Cost

Indeterminate Increase.

 

Local Revenue

Indeterminate Increase.

 

 

 

 

·       The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates that total municipal costs associated with the enactment of this bill will likely be higher than the municipal share of revenue raised by the increased fee on DUI convictions.  Insufficient information is available to estimate the impact on individual municipalities.

·       According to the Administrative Office of the Courts, there were 22,150 DUI convictions Statewide in 2012, 23,084 in 2011, and 23,949 in 2010. If the surcharges can be collected, the State, counties and municipalities would receive an estimated combined increase of $576,525 annually.

·       Requires certain new or used municipal police vehicles that are purchased, leased, or otherwise acquired on or after the bill’s effective date to be equipped with mobile video recording systems. The bill’s provisions also provide that the mobile device video recording systems worn or otherwise used by a police officer would qualify in lieu of a device placed in a vehicle. The OLS lacks reliable data upon which to base an estimate of the annual number of vehicles to be purchased by municipalities in which equipping vehicles or officers with video recording systems is not already standard practice.

·       Increases the surcharge imposed on persons convicted of driving while intoxicated under N.J.S.39:4-50.  The additional $25 surcharge is payable to the State, county, or municipality where the conviction was obtained. Municipalities are required to use the extra funding for the cost of equipping newly purchased police vehicles with video recording systems.

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      Assembly Bill No. 2280 of 2014 requires certain new or used municipal police vehicles that are purchased, leased, or otherwise acquired on or after the bill’s effective date to be equipped with cameras.  The bill’s provisions also are applicable to mobile device video recording systems worn or otherwise used by a police officer.

      The bill defines a “mobile video recording system” as a device or system installed or used in a police vehicle or on an officer that electronically records visual images depicting activities that take place during a motor vehicle stop or other law enforcement action.

      In addition, the bill increases the surcharge imposed on persons convicted of driving while intoxicated. The additional surcharge is payable to the municipality where the conviction was obtained for the cost of equipping police vehicles with cameras, as required by this bill. If the summons is issued by a county’s law enforcement agency or a State law enforcement agency, the additional surcharge will be directed to the entity that issued the summons.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS estimates that total municipal costs associated with the enactment of this bill will likely be higher than the municipal share of revenue raised by the increased fee on DUI convictions.  Insufficient information is available to estimate the impact on individual municipalities.

      According to the Administrative Office of the Courts, there were 22,150 DUI convictions Statewide in 2012, 23,084 in 2011, and 23,949 in 2010. If the surcharges can be collected, the State, counties, and municipalities would receive an estimated combined increase of $576,525 annually. Under this bill, only municipal police departments would need to purchase cameras for their patrol vehicles and only municipalities that have obtained DUI convictions would receive the increased surcharges.

      A March 2012 online article from New Jersey.com reported that the City of Newark spent $336,000 on the installation of cameras on 52 patrol and traffic cruisers, or an estimated $6,461.53 per vehicle.

      If this cost is representative of what municipalities will expend to comply with the bill’s mandate, then additional surcharges imposed and collected at the levels noted above would be adequate to equip about 90 vehicles per year. It is unknown what the cost would be for the mobile device video recording systems worn or otherwise used by a police officer.

 

 

Section:

Law and Public Safety

Analyst:

Kristin Brunner Santos

Senior Fiscal Analyst

Approved:

David J. Rosen

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).