MONTVALE, N.J.—Approximately a dozen new automatic license plate reader cameras costing nearly $95,000 were approved for purchase at the Aug. 25 mayor and council meeting.
We reached out to the police chief to find out where the cameras would be located but did not hear back by press time. The resolution stated the police chief, Douglas McDowell, supported the purchase of the new cameras.
At previous meetings, police department council liaison Dieter Koelling has spoken about the local police’s effective use of cameras to track license plates of potential bad actors entering Montvale who planned possible criminal activities. Police have used the cameras to assist them and prevent potential crimes.
The 11 new cameras also include pole mounts, CCTV set ups, communications equipment, and installation. The resolution approving their purchase describes the cameras as “outdoor HD license plate reader cameras.”
The ALPR invoice from GTBM, E. Rutherford, totals $94,528.13, of which $55,528.13 will come from forfeiture funds and not local taxpayers, Administrator Joseph Voytus told Pascack Press. The balance will be paid from the 2026 capital fund, he said.
Voytus said the ALPR cameras are “very effective tools for law enforcement” but did not have the planned locations for the new cameras. The invoice said GTBM’s scope of work includes configuring and alignment of the 11 cameras.
Last summer, the Township of Washington police department also spent slightly over $98,000 to purchase license plate reader cameras from GTBM. (See “Township to install license plate cameras; seek bids for new DPW HQ,” by Michael Olohan, Aug. 18, 2025, Pascack Press.)
On Aug. 25, Council also approved resolution 157-2026 to purchase 22 all-band portable Motorola radios for the police department. Voytus said these radios should enhance departmental communications. The invoice from Motorola Solutions totaled $203,629.58, of which $103,629.58 will be paid from seized funds. The balance will be paid from capital expenses.
Borough Attorney David Lafferty said a hearing will be held Nov. 10 at Bergen County Court House, Hackensack, on Montvale’s Fourth Round Housing Element and Fair Share Plan. The plan was under dispute by Fair Share Housing Center for including a possible option for a data center on a 34-acre tract at the KPMG site, rather than affordable housing. Lafferty said the hearing was open to the public.