Bill Text: NJ A3708 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes pilot program requiring Attorney General to perform internal affairs functions of certain law enforcement agencies.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2013-04-15 - Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee [A3708 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A3708-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman PETER J. BARNES, III
District 18 (Middlesex)
Assemblyman GORDON M. JOHNSON
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes pilot program requiring Attorney General to perform internal affairs functions of certain law enforcement agencies.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act creating a pilot program concerning internal affairs units in certain law enforcement agencies.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10 of P.L.1996, c.115 (C.40A:14-181), there is established a two year pilot program requiring the Office of the Attorney General in the Department of Law and Public Safety to perform all duties and functions previously performed by the internal affairs unit of certain county and municipal law enforcement agencies. The Office of the Attorney General shall be responsible for establishing and administering the pilot program.
b. The Attorney General shall select the municipal and county law enforcement agencies to participate in the pilot program and shall determine the criteria for the selection of the law enforcement agencies.
c. Pursuant to the provisions of section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Attorney General shall submit a report evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program to the Governor and the Legislature upon completion of the program. The report shall recommend whether the pilot program should be expanded Statewide to require the Attorney General to perform the internal affairs duties and functions for all county and municipal law enforcement agencies.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the filing of the final report.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a two year pilot program requiring the Attorney General to perform the internal affairs functions of certain county and municipal law enforcement agencies.
Currently, each law enforcement agency has an internal affairs unit that is responsible for receiving, investigating, and resolving complaints made against law enforcement officers in that agency.
Under the provisions of this bill, county and municipal law enforcement agencies selected for the pilot program would no longer perform these internal affairs functions as these functions would be transferred to the Attorney General's Office during the duration of the pilot program.
The Attorney General would select the county and municipal law enforcement agencies to participate in the pilot program and would determine the criteria for the selection.
Lastly, the Attorney General would be required to submit a report evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program to the Governor and the Legislature upon completion of the program. The report must make a recommendation as to whether the program should be expanded Statewide to include all county and municipal law enforcement agencies.
