The United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General released a report on May 13, 2026 which found that Union City did not adequately document its use of more than $1.6 million in federal grant funding that was awarded to the city’s police department. The money was used for surveillance cameras and other technology.
According to the audit, the D.O.J.’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services awarded the municipality two grants which totaled $2.3-million. The grants were made between 2022 and 2023 and were reportedly used to purchase closed circuit television cameras, mobile data terminals for various police vehicles, and computer-aided dispatch software. According to the report, Union City had received more than $1.6-million of the total grant funding as of one year ago.
$1,696,808 in unsupported costs, due to inadequate procurement documentation, was revealed in the audit. Auditors also found that numerous cameras positioned on Bergenline and Central Avenues experienced networking issues which prevented video from streaming or recording as they were intended. The audit says those issues were not reported to federal authorities. They should have been documented in required progress reports.