OPRA Request — Body-Worn Camera Footage, Shoplifting/Drug Paraphernalia Arrest of Kenneth T. McGowan, Jr., Dollar Tree/Acme, Brigantine, NJ — March 18, 2025
Dear Brigantine City,
Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-5(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.
I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.
I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.
I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.
Records requested:
OPRA Request — Body-Worn Camera Footage — Shoplifting/Drug Paraphernalia Arrest of Kenneth T. McGowan, Jr. — Dollar Tree/Acme, Brigantine, NJ — March 18, 2025
Dear Records Custodian,
Under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.), I request body-worn camera (BWC) recordings related to the investigation and arrest of Kenneth T. McGowan, Jr., 30, of Brigantine, NJ, on March 18, 2025, following a citizen complaint of shoplifting at Dollar Tree in Brigantine, NJ, which led to an investigation resulting in McGowan being charged with shoplifting from both Dollar Tree and Acme, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia.
Please provide a small number (max 5) of clear, non-duplicative BWC angles depicting:
Arrival & first contact at Dollar Tree in Brigantine, NJ following the citizen shoplifting complaint;
Initial investigation and identification of Kenneth T. McGowan, Jr. as the suspect;
Any interaction with Dollar Tree and/or Acme staff or loss prevention personnel at the scene;
Confrontation, detention, and arrest of Kenneth T. McGowan, Jr., including discovery of drug paraphernalia;
Escort and departure from the scene following the arrest.
Response Deadline: Under N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(i), you are required to respond to this request within seven (7) business days of receipt. If you require additional time, please notify me in writing within the seven-day period with the reason for the delay and the anticipated response date.
Please confirm receipt of this request and advise if any additional locating detail would help identify the relevant footage.
My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.
Yours faithfully,
Bill Johnson
Good afternoon,
The City has reviewed the body worn camera portion of this request. Officers Newcomer, Crosson, Garcia, and Long were present on scene with a total of nine videos consisting of 142 minutes of BWC video to review. From past experience, it takes 8 minutes for each 1 minute of video to review and redact the video. The City estimates that it will take 1,136 minutes (approximately 19 hours) to complete this portion of your request.
The City requires a special service charge pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5. The fee is estimated at $385.29 which is calculated by multiplying the number of hours times the rate of the least paid employee authorized and trained to perform this task ($20.35/hr). The City will require a fifty percent (50%) deposit in advance of commencing this work. Therefore, please submit a check or money order made payable to The City of Brigantine in the amount of $192.65. Please note, this amount is an estimate. If the City completes this work faster, you may receive a refund or pay less than the total estimated, however, if this task takes longer than estimated, you will be responsible for the total amount before the videos will be released. The City will assume that you do not want to continue with this portion of your request if the City does not receive your deposit in five business days. If such if the case, this portion of the request will be closed and deemed satisfied.
If you have any questions or need anything further, please let me know.
Jessica Repici
Records Clerk
Brigantine Police Department
1417 W. Brigantine Ave
Brigantine, NJ 08203
609/264-7911
[email address]
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