PROJECT UPDATES AND NOTIFICATIONS

05/03/2024 –

1. The LENS Learning and Resource Center is completed and live! All supporting knowledge base assets, new agency and user implementation instructions, video tutorials, tech support portal and more are officially up and running, reviewed and live.

2. The LENS Video Learning Series (17 professionally produced video training tutorials) are completed! The entire series is officially up and running on the LENS Learning and Resource Center.

a. Each interactive and narrated video runs between 1 minute to 4 minutes in length and the entire series can be watched in less than 45 minutes.

b. These videos cover literally EVERY aspect of the LENS platform and serve as detailed training and reference resources.

3. All training materials have been produced, printed, and are expected to be arriving today or tomorrow.

a. These materials include a complete “Startup Package” that will contain numerous professionally created and printed resources and guides that will be provided to every state and county LENS liaison during the upcoming LENS Trainings.

4. All 21 County Prosecutors Offices have responded and are signed up for one of the two upcoming scheduled county trainings.

5. 400 plus agencies (nearly 75% of the total in NJ) have already officially registered and are being activated in the LENS system, with many more expected by the deadline of May 10, 2024.

6. An email was sent to all currently signed up county and state liaisons on 5/2/24 providing them with information to prepare them for the upcoming new administrator account activation instructions they will be receiving next week.

a. This email included two (2) video tutorials to help them prepare for the very easy activation process.

04/23/2024 – Distributed training registration email to all CP LENS liaisons.

04/22/2024 – Secured North and South training dates and locations for CP training.

04/17/2024 – After received all County Prosecutor responses (Other than Essex County), OPS sent out instruction for the signing of local agencies and provided all needed supporting materials. Provided deadline of 04/26/24.

04/15/2024 – OPS and DSFG Doherty met with the FIFA committe and shared details about LENS.

04/11/2024 – OPS had a virtual meeting with NJ Transit Police regarding LENS. Answered questions and assisted Transit with completing the Liason spreadsheet.

04/11/2024 – OPS sent a reminder email to all Prosecutors about the LENS Liason deadline.

04/09/2024 – OPS sent a follow up email to all Prosecutors with details about LENS rollout.

04/09/2024 – NJSP and OPS presented to the CPANJ meeting. Provided all Prosecutors with a handout detailing LENS project and needs. Set a deadline of 4/15/24 for counties to provide names of county liaisons. 

04/04/2024 – Virtual meeting with OPS and NJSP. Discussed status of rollout, meeting with Prosecutor’s and secured 10AM as the start times for the statewide trainings. All on track.

04/04/2024 – OPS met with NJ Treasury about LENS. Forwarded Admin Registration information to them.

03/30/2024 –  Captain Flory forwarded contact information for NJ Transit and NJ Treasury and requested (OPS) reach out and assist with getting them setup in LENS and ready for training.

Week of 03/25/2024 – OPS received several calls from County Prosecutor’s inquiring about LENS and expressing their excitement about the project.

03/25/2024 – Leadership at the Attorney General’s Office (DCJ) reached out and requested OPS come to a meeting on May 9 to go over LENS and present OPS to NJ Homeland Security.

03/18/2024 –  On this date DSFC Doherty contacted OPS in regard to attending a FIFA meeting on April 1 and/or April 15. In addtion, DSFC Doherty requested a virtual meeting prior to the FIFA meeting to discuss how the LENS platform could be useful during the FIFA event. Once details are secured, this note will be updated.

03/16/2024 – Captain Flory advised of a concern regarding “training” matters when issued via a  LENS Tile. Will discuss further during the week of 3/18. Captain Flory also stated a letter is being drafted to go out to all state agencies this upcoming week and  he will share when ready.

Captain Flory also provided the below as a timeline for upcoming matters:

• We have scheduled a briefing to Troop A on March 20 at 9a at their MAC Meeting.  DSFC Zoppina will be providing this briefing.
• We have scheduled a briefing to Troop B on March 20 at 10a at their MAC Meeting.  DSFC Doherty will be providing this briefing.
• Troop C and D will be attending a familiarization briefing at the ROIC in early April   We are setting up two dates in April for the Sections/Troops we could not attend their MACs.

03/13/2024-

• Camden County Chief Ferris confirmed that NJSP and OPS are scheduled to present LENS to the County Pros. Association on April 9, 2024.

03/12/2024 – 

• Catpain Flory advised that the NJSP presented the LENS project to the State County Chiefs Association on this date. Stated the Chiefs were looking forward to the project.

03/11/2024 –

• Approval was given by NJSP to print and distro NJSP/LENS flyer and print and utlize the LENS/NJSP banner. Order was placed by OPS.
• Captain Flory advised that he and his Major are attending the NJ County Chief’s Meeting on 03/12/2024 to advise the Chief’s of the LENS project and the upcoming 4/9/24 Prosecutor’s meeting. OPS offered to attend meeting if NJSP requested.
• Updated LENS Flyer was uploaded to LENS Portal.

03/08/2024 – Captain Flory, Steve and George spoke via phone.

1. Captain Flory advised that the promo NJSP/LENS flyer was approved and asked if we could make some minor changes. These changes were applied to the flyer and uploaded to the portal.
2. George provided Captain Flory with a proof for a LENS display for use during presentations/trainings. Captain Flory will present the same for approval and advise.
3. Steve advised Captain Flory that Camden County Chief Ferris will provide the time and location for the April Prosecutors Association meeting ASAP.
4. Captain Flory inquired about data in the LENS platform and if the same would be made available if the system was taken off line by the NJSP and we OPS advised that it would.

03/06/2024 – Captain Flory, Steve, and George spoke via phone, and everyone is updated.

03/06/2024 – Chief Conely contacted OPS and stated he had spoken to the Prosecutor, and we are good for utilizing the Union County Police Academy for the CP North training.

Academy Director Mason and Coordinator Adams are on board and are ready to assist in any way needed.

Chief Conley also stated that his staff is very excited about the new system, and they all look forward to utilizing it.

03/06/2024 – Added DSFC Shawn Finney to the NJSP listing on the LENS Project Center.

03/05/2024 – George (OPS) spoke to Chief of Staff Ted Conley of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office at 4:45pm. Chief Conley agreed to host the Northern CP training at the Union County Police Academy. He is also going to speak to his Prosecutor to get him on board with the project.

03/05/2024 – Chief Ferris spoke to Steve (OPS) at 4:30pm and advised that Prosecutor MacAulay contacted the President of the NJ Pros. Assoc. and discussed LENS. They are speaking again tomorrow to discuss the project.

They also invited OPS to attend the CP Association meeting in April to discuss LENS.

03/05/2024 – Email sent out to the LENS team by Captain Florey at 4:15pm. (Steve (OPS) responded with a suggestion to have a conference call to discuss.)

“Sirs,

Couple things. I have added DSFC Shawn Finney to this distribution group. He is my Assistant Section Admin Officer and I would like him to be part of this group. He is now copied on this thread.

Second, I was thinking about how we are going to set up distro groups in LENS for the NJSP. I have attached a copy of the Division TO for the benefit of George and Steve. Not sure if you were aware of all the units, bureaus, sections, etc. that make up the NJSP. This might help visualize how we can and eventually set up the distribution groups.

Couple considerations for you to think about and possible discussion:

Not sure if we need or want to have every unit as a separate distribution group. As you can see we have a ton of units and some might not need their own group. Especially in Admin where we might be able to get away with a section group or bureau group. Forensics Section, IT Section, Division Staff, some of these I don’t think will need unit distribution groups set up.

What about Bureau Chiefs (Captains) and their staff, and Section Commanders (Majors) and their staff.  Can they be part of multiple distribution groups?  They might want to see the notifications for all the units under their command.

In LENS will the NJSP be treated like a county.  In this I mean, will people see an icon for the NJSP and then when they click on it, then will the subunits / distro groups be listed?

Mike, Anthony, Shawn, I think we should go over the TO and see how many distribution groups we imagine and this will likely help us determine how we brief the Section admins.    The administrator for some groups might be at the Section level for some of these.

Mike”

03/05/2024 – George and Steve (OPS) spoke to Chief Ferris with the Camden County Pros Office at 8:30am on this date. CMCPO agreed to host the southern county LENS training.

CMCPO also agreed to contact the President of the NJ Pros. Assoc. and get the support of the Assoc. to assist with the rollout to all CP offices and local agencies.

An email was sent to Chief Ferris as a follow up and we are awaiting a return call.

03/04/2024 – George, Steve, and Captain Flory spoke regarding email going out to H1, which should go out on 3/5/24 in the morning.

NJSP stated that OPS is approved to move forward with county rollout plan and begin speaking to county partners to begin the process.

03/02/2024 – NOTES/TASKS shared by Captain Flory on this date:

Ensure LTC Brennan notifies Colonel Callahan regarding our plan to move forward with OPS LENS purchase and implementation statewide.  (Doherty)

Following H1 notification, OPS will message counties and schedule county training (OPS)

Schedule presentation to LTC’s and Division Command Staff.  Provide 1 page handout (Doherty, Flory, Zoppina)

Schedule meeting with Section XO’s, Admin Lts, CIO Leadership to explain OPS LENS and explain upcoming training and request for administrators per Unit/Group (Doherty, Flory, Zoppina)

Present Letter and info to Union’s to ensure comfortable with personal cell information.  (Doherty)

Begin O/I Draft (Flory, Doherty, Zoppina)

Contact with other state agencies to introduce LENS and get Administrators identified (Flory, Doherty, Zoppina)

Communicate and get approval of OPS LENS as an approved APP with NJSP IT (Doherty)

Obtain available dates for NJSP/State Agency Administrator Training at Hamilton Tech and finalize training dates with OPS (Doherty, Flory, OPS)

Schedule a Train the trainer training with OPS (Flory, Doherty, and OPS)

Begin to identify civilian Groups we want to include in the distro.  (Flory, Doherty, Zoppina, ROIC RTCCs)

Discuss with OPS further development of an online training for both users and administrators (OPS)

03/02/2024 – Updated state and county email templates after OPS HQ meeting to reflect discussion.

03/01/2024 – Updated Sgt. Doherty’s contact number on the LENS Project Center.

03/01/2024 – After the OPS HQ meeting, OPS spoke with Vondalyn McKeithen from NJSP Procurement. Vondalyn stated the LENS purchasing process will be starting on 3/4/24 and Melissa will be handling the same. Vondalyn stated that they will be sending out for “quotes” from the state SAAS vendors, then the final approvals and the purchase order should be completed within approximately 4 weeks or so.

This information was shared with Captain Flory.

03/01/2024 – NJSP will obtain proper permissions to utilize NJSP logo for LENS training/promotional purposes.

03/01/2024 – Created a “Features” flyer for NJSP admin as well as union template notification regarding mobile APP usage of LENS. Both were emailed to NJSP and loaded to LENS Project Center.

03/01/2024 – Official public preparation can begin on 3/5/24 once NJSP advises command the project is beginning so they are aware of potential calls or inquiries that could come their way.

03/01/2024 – Moving forward, NJSP will handle notifying and setting up state agencies. OPS will handle county/local agencies. Training will be conducted for all by OPS once dates are established.

NJSP will be populating provided spreadsheet with “civilian” asset categories.

03/01/2024 – Meeting at OPS HQ. Discussed rollout process.