Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Prosecutor Tech topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Prosecutor expands school civics program and flags tech cost growth to $1.375M
Summary
Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stevens announced a youth civics initiative in county schools and warned that forensic and digital‑evidence costs have grown sharply (from about $429,000 to $1.375M) as the office expands body‑worn cameras, digital forensics and other technologies.
Theodore Stevens, Essex County Prosecutor, told commissioners the office will start a civics outreach program in local high schools — beginning at Barringer High School and Donald Payne Technical School — intended to teach students about juries, courts and civic responsibilities.
Stevens also outlined a sizeable increase in the prosecutor’s technology budget: cyber, digital forensics and evidence tools (including body‑worn cameras, Cellebrite phone‑extraction tools, license‑plate readers and drones) increased from roughly $429,000 in 2022 to a planned $1,375,000 in 2026. He said those costs are functionally mandatory for modern prosecution and urged state coordination to moderate expenses.
On victim services, Stevens described a 12‑person victim‑witness advocacy unit funded in part by VOCA and fines/fees; he cautioned that federal reimbursement sources have become less predictable and that national advocacy is underway to secure stable funding.
Commissioners thanked the prosecutor for the civic outreach plan and pressed on funding for tech and the potential need for additional resources if hiring ramps up. Stevens said the office expects to approach full staffing for assistant prosecutors later in the calendar year but signaled that next year’s budget may need supplemental funding to support full hiring and new technology maintenance costs.
No formal votes were taken during the presentation.
