Bill Text: NJ S3943 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Allows Attorney General to appoint officer in charge when superseding certain law enforcement agencies.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-07-03 - Approved P.L.2023, c.94. [S3943 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-S3943-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator NELLIE POU
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Allows Attorney General to appoint officer in charge when superseding certain law enforcement agencies.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning an appointment when the Attorney General has superseded a law enforcement agency.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Attorney General, upon superseding a law enforcement agency in a city of the first class having a population of less than 200,000 according to the 2020 federal decennial census, may appoint a person who has not previously satisfied the applicable law enforcement officer training requirements established by the Police Training Commission pursuant to P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-66 et seq.) to serve as officer in charge of that law enforcement agency during the period of time during which the law enforcement agency is superseded. A person appointed pursuant to this section shall have previously served as a superior police officer and possess at least 10 years administrative and supervisory police experience.
b. Notwithstanding the provision of subsection a. of section 3 of P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-68) or any other law, the Attorney General may establish and administer specific training requirements for the person appointed pursuant to subsection a. of this section that take into account the person's prior training, education, experience and qualifications in light of the requirements of the position.
c. The Attorney General shall ensure that the training required pursuant to subsection b. of this section is completed within one year of appointment, provided that the appointee may serve as officer in charge pending completion of the specific training requirements. Upon completion of the training requirements established by the Attorney General pursuant to this section, the appointee shall be deemed eligible to be licensed in accordance with P.L.2022, c.65 (C.52:17B-71a et al.).
d. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the Attorney General's authority as chief law enforcement officer of the State.
2. This act shall take
effect immediately, shall be retroactive to March 1, 2023, and shall expire
upon the termination of the period of time during which the law enforcement
agency in a city of the first class having a population of less than 200,000
according to the 2020 federal decennial census is superseded by the Attorney
General.
STATEMENT
This bill allows the Attorney General, upon superseding a law enforcement agency, to appoint a person as "officer in charge" during the period of time in which the law enforcement agency is superseded even though the person has not previously satisfied the training requirements established by the Police Training Commission. This bill specifically applies to a law enforcement agency in a city of the first class having a population of less than 200,000 according to the 2020 federal decennial census.
Under the bill, a person appointed as officer in charge is required to have previously served as a superior police officer and possess at least 10 years administrative and supervisory police experience. The bill allows the Attorney General to establish and administer specific training requirements that take into account the person's prior training, education, experience and qualifications in light of the requirements of the position.
The bill requires the Attorney General to ensure that the training is completed within one year of the person's appointment, provided that the appointee may serve as officer in charge pending completion of the specific training requirements. Upon completion of the training requirements established by the Attorney General, the appointee shall be deemed eligible to be licensed as a law enforcement officer.
