Federal Audit Questions $1.6 Million in Union City Police Grant Spending

The U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General released a report Tuesday finding that Union City did not adequately document its use of more than $1.6 million in federal grant funding awarded to the city’s police department for surveillance cameras and other technology.

The DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services awarded Union City two grants totaling $2,300,000 between 2022 and 2023 to purchase closed circuit television cameras, mobile data terminals for police vehicles, and computer-aided dispatch software. As of May 2025, Union City had received $1,642,364 of the total grant funding.

The audit found $1,696,808 in unsupported costs due to inadequate procurement documentation. Auditors also found that some cameras on Bergenline Avenue and Central Avenue experienced networking issues that prevented video from streaming or recording as intended, and that those issues were not reported to federal officials in required progress reports.

Union City officials told auditors the networking issues were not routine and were resolved as they occurred. However, auditors noted that police officers on site acknowledged the issues had caused instances where recordings were unavailable for criminal investigations near the cameras.

In a formal response signed by Chief Financial Officer Tammy Zucca and Police Chief Walter Laurencio, the city committed to corrective action on all eight recommendations and said it would update its purchasing manual, adopt a conflict-of-interest policy, and hire a new appraisal company to conduct a complete inventory of grant-funded equipment.

The COPS Office agreed with all eight recommendations. The full report is available through the DOJ OIG website.