TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has signed a law that requires out-of-state law enforcement agencies to notify officials here before conducting surveillance in New Jersey.
The bill was prompted by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting by The Associated Press on how the New York Police Department was spying on Muslims. The AP revealed the NYPD operated secretly in New Jersey neighborhoods where Muslims lived and worked, spying on Muslim organizations and mosques and infiltrating student groups.
Christie says the law protects civil liberties while also keeping the country safe from terrorism.
The law passed by wide margins in both chambers of the state Legislature.
The NYPD has maintained that its operations were lawful and necessary to keep the city safe. Officials also say they are not bound by borders because officers are just collecting information.
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