Court: NJ police dash camera recordings not public records

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- A divided New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that police dash camera video recordings are not available under state public records law.

The 4-3 ruling issued Monday found that since there's no law mandating the recordings be made, they aren't subject to disclosure.

It stemmed from an open records advocate's request for video of an arrest made in Barnegat, where the town's police chief had issued an order requiring officers' to use the cameras on their car. The justice's found the chief's directive doesn't carry the force of law.

The top court's decision overturns a ruling issued by a divided state appellate court that upheld a lower court ruling. It comes a year after the state Supreme Court ruled that dash camera video of fatal police shootings should be released.