TRENTON -- Nearly half of New Jersey's 500 law enforcement agencies are now using body-worn cameras, the state's attorney general said Wednesday while announcing a new round of funding for the technology.

Attorney General Christopher Porrino's office has awarded federal funds to 37 law enforcement agencies across 15 counties to help buy the cameras, using $566,000 of federal grant money.

The awards, which amount to $500 per camera, ranged from $90,000 to buy 180 cameras in Bayonne to $1,000 to pay for two cameras in Lower Alloways Creek in Salem County, according to state data.

In a statement, Porrino said the funds "will keep New Jersey in the vanguard nationally in using this technology, which promotes transparency in policing while protecting officers in their difficult and dangerous jobs."

Authorities say more than 240 departments across the state are now using some form of body-worn cameras, which have become increasingly popular in recent years amid a national debate over police practices.

But the camera technology -- particularly the storage of hours upon hours of video -- can be expensive, and the grants do not cover the entire cost of purchasing and maintaining the devices.

In New Jersey, the Attorney General's Office has distributed $4 million in state forfeiture funds, including $1.5 million to outfit every state trooper with body cameras.

But currently, there are no rules requiring police wear the devices, leaving the decision up to individual departments.

A bill before the state Legislature that would have required every police officer on patrol wear a camera died in committee last year after a similar law regarding dashboard cameras was found to be an unconstitutional, unfunded mandate on local governments.

The newly announced funds came in the form of an Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. Click here to view the full list of recipients.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.