February 2026 | The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine 42
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Conclusion
The EPJETS protocol demonstrates a positive impact on police-citizen interactions. The successful implementation in Atlantic City and Pleasantville holds the potential for adaptation and usage by other law enforcement agencies. Although not assessed in this research, EPJETS may even contribute to the civilizing impact of BWC usage in policing. Citizens may reflect on their actions by watching the footage and better comprehending the officer’ s reaction, which may impact their behavior towards police in future interactions. At the same time, officers may be more mindful of their actions, knowing that the footage will be reviewed by supervisors and made accessible to the individual who was stopped. Ultimately, this model is a promising initiative for departments looking to improve their community relations.
About the authors
Dr. Nusret M. Sahin earned his Ph. D. from Rutgers School of Criminal Justice and his master’ s degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He serves as Director of the Executive M. A. Program at Rutgers School of Criminal Justice. Before entering academia, he served for 13 years as a ranking officer with the Turkish National Police. His research focuses on procedural justice, police-citizen interactions, body-worn cameras, and crime mapping.
Chief James Sarkos began his law enforcement career in 1995 as a Special Law Enforcement Officer and joined the Atlantic City Police Department in 2000. He has led numerous technology-driven initiatives, including the Boardwalk Camera Project, ACPD Surveillance Center( A. C. H. I. L. E. S.), Project P. A. C. T., Risk Terrain Modeling( RTM), Project Medicine Drop, and the RAPID electronic pawn system. Chief Sarkos is recognized for leveraging innovative strategies to enhance public safety and strengthen community policing in Atlantic City.
Dr. Joel Caplan is the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research & Collaborations at Rutgers University – Newark, where he also serves as a Professor in the School of Criminal Justice and Director of the Rutgers Center on Public Security( RCPS). Dr. Caplan helps cities and towns prevent crime and strengthen community policing by guiding data-informed decisions that enhance public safety. He specializes in GIS mapping and crime pattern analysis and is the co-developer of Risk Terrain Modeling( RTM), a spatial diagnostic technique that links environmental features to crime locations.
Ashley Schroeder is a doctoral student in the Department of Justice, Law, and Criminology in the School of Public Affairs at American University. Her research interests include women in policing, police culture, police response to sexual violence, and police reform efforts. Her past research has included examining rape myth acceptance in criminal justice professionals and students, as well as explaining the use of force by officer gender and department diversity.