Sayreville outlines police hires and $300,000 camera system funded from forfeiture funds

Sayreville borough officials told the council Jan. 1 that the police department is recommending conditional offers of employment to three candidates and plans to deploy an upgraded camera system to enhance public-safety investigations.

Police hiring: The Civil Service Commission produced an entry-level list and the police department vetted candidates. Administration asked permission to issue conditional offers to Joseph L. Smith, Brandon Alisia and Blake Luchard, pending successful medical and psychological testing. Officials said the police academy begins Jan. 26, and delaying offers could mean waiting until August to onboard new officers; the council raised no objection to issuing conditional offers that evening.

Camera system (Flock): Business Administrator Glenn Scarzinski described the planned camera system as the Flock camera system, commonly used in public places such as parks and parking lots to capture data that can assist investigations of crimes or incidents. He estimated the cost of the current phase at about $300,000 and said the expense would be paid from forfeiture funds (assets seized in criminal matters that can be reallocated for law-enforcement purposes with prosecutor approval), not general-tax revenues.

Council discussion and transparency: Council members acknowledged the hiring need and the timeline pressure while noting that equipment and expenditures should be clearly explained to the public. The mayor and administrators thanked staff for moving quickly to fill vacancies and to secure equipment intended to improve public-safety response and investigations.

Next steps: The administration will proceed with conditional offers pending clearance checks; procurement and deployment details for the camera system will be managed by the police department and the business administrator, with funding from forfeiture funds as described in the meeting.