By Stephen Appezzato
MIDDLETOWN – At its July 14 meeting, the township committee heard about difficulties in managing a surge in public requests for police body-worn camera footage that has inundated the department’s records bureau.
According to Middletown Police Chief Craig Weber, the department is facing an overwhelming uptick in requests for body-cam footage, many of which are unrelated to official or legal matters.
“The police records bureau has been inundated recently with requests specifically for body-worn camera footage,” Weber said.
In June, the department received more than 1,558 individual requests for footage, consuming approximately 321 staff hours to review, redact and release videos. “A lot of them are being provided at absolutely no cost,” Weber said. “It’s not for work matters,” but a range of things, including entertainment on the internet.
Some of the requests have been for hundreds of hours of video footage, Weber noted, making it difficult for existing staff to keep up.
To address the mounting workload, Weber suggested the township consider introducing a fee structure for footage requests, similar to several other local municipalities that already have systems in place, typically based on the hourly wage of the lowest-paid police employee.
The thought is, if the town introduces a fee structure, the number of requests would likely decrease. Without a policy, the department may have to hire additional personnel to handle requests, Weber said.
Township officials did not indicate if a body-cam footage ordinance would be introduced.
Officials Green-Light Lincroft Church Property Purchase
Also at the meeting, the township committee approved an ordinance authorizing the purchase of the former Lincroft Presbyterian Church property, a 15.4-acre parcel located at 270 Everett Road, for open space purposes. The $5.2 million church property will be acquired with help from the county government. The township will contribute $1.3 million from its Open Space Trust Fund, while Monmouth County will cover the remaining cost.
At the meeting, Doug Erwin, a member of the Lincroft Presbyterian Church, thanked the township for helping preserve the site. “We are extremely excited and thankful to the council for making this purchase and preserving our church structure, and taking the property and making a nice park out of it and using it for recreation,” Erwin said. “The building’s in the Craftsman style, which really needs to be preserved. We really appreciate the town council making a legacy of this,” Erwin said.
Last year, the congregation closed its ministry and merged with First Presbyterian Church in Matawan.
“Thank you to everybody from the Lincroft Presbyterian Church for your support, for your love and for your help in making this a reality,” Mayor Tony Perry said.
“Again, another win for Lincroft,” said committee member Kimberly Kratz. “Congratulations, it’s going to be a wonderful, wonderful achievement for all of Middletown.”
Deputy Mayor Rick Hibell echoed Kratz and likened the deal to the recent purchase of the former Mater Dei Prep property. In June, the township formally purchased that 25-acre site for $11.75 million from the Parish of Saint Mary, with 75% of the cost funded by the county. The building, no longer up to modern safety standards, is scheduled for demolition by early fall. “There are very difficult real estate transactions, and there are absolute ones that can be done with true pleasure and absolutely both sides getting something great out of it,” such as this deal, Perry said. A bond ordinance related to the purchase was also approved by the committee during the meeting.
Regulation of Bamboo Plantings Considered
Officials also discussed cracking down on bamboo in the township, which has posed challenges for property owners.
“We’ve had a number of requests from the public to consider adopting an ordinance regulating bamboo,” township administrator Tony Mercantante said. While many initially plant bamboo for landscaping and privacy purposes, in recent years, it has become an increasing concern in many towns due to its aggressive growth.
Mercantante explained that most towns in New Jersey that have bamboo ordinances typically prohibit new plantings and require existing growth to be maintained a certain distance from property lines and roadways.
“Bamboo root systems can grow very fast and travel very far and can do significant damage,” he said. However, Mercantante said it’s a difficult situation as bamboo removal is often a costly and labor-intensive process.
“It’s not going to be a popular ordinance for neighbors when they get a letter from the township,” he said. “Property owners, who we suddenly say, ‘Hey, you have to cut this bamboo back 10 feet from the property line.’ It’s not something most people can go out and do themselves. It requires hiring somebody that you’re going to pay,” he said.
An ordinance tackling bamboo issues could be introduced as early as the next township committee meeting.
The article originally appeared in the July 17 – July 23, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
