P.L. 2016, c.023 (A1663 2R)

An Act concerning law enforcement practices and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes ¹and Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes^{1 2}, and amending P.L.1997, c.257².

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

²[1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. Law enforcement officers have a sworn duty to protect and serve people of all backgrounds without discrimination or preference based on race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

b. One of the primary responsibilities of a law enforcement officer is to interact with people of various cultures, whether working with community members to build trust or communicating with suspects and victims.

c. Although the culturally diverse population of this State has enriched our communities, police interactions with citizens can be complicated by diversity in situations where a lack of cultural knowledge leads to inadvertent violations of citizens’ rights or creates safety risks for the law enforcement officer.

d. Greater emphasis should be placed on a county or municipal police department’s ability to partner with a variety of religious, civic, and social organizations to develop strategies and activities that promote a greater level of meaningful community engagement.

e. In an effort to ensure safe communities throughout this State, it is necessary that each county and municipal law enforcement department establish an education program and develop a local cultural diversity action plan that will encourage law enforcement officers to foster direct relationships with the citizens whom they serve.]²

²[2. a. Each county and municipal law enforcement department]

1. (New section) a. The Department of Law and Public Safety² shall develop ²[and adopt a] or identify uniform² cultural diversity training course ²materials and an online tutorial² that ²[includes] shall include² instruction ²[and exercises]² designed to promote positive interaction with ²[the racial, ethnic, and religious communities] , and community outreach to, all residents² within ²[each department’s respective jurisdiction. The] a community, including residents of all racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals residing within the community. Components of the² training course ²[also shall include instruction and exercises designed to promote positive interaction with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals residing within each department’s respective jurisdiction. The curriculum for the training program] materials and online tutorial² shall include, but not be limited to, ²[a tutorial] instruction² on:

(1) the various cultural communities and the effects of diversity on community relations within ²[each law enforcement department’s jurisdiction] a community²;

(2) appropriate methods by which an officer may interact with people of various cultures and religions in the community, with an emphasis on officer safety skills and conflict resolution techniques;

(3) best practices in law enforcement techniques when analyzing and solving local neighborhood problems, meeting with community groups, and working with citizens on crime prevention programs; ²and²

(4) the impact that police diversity skills have on overall law enforcement effectiveness²[; and

(5) the community’s perception of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups, with specific attention to local stereotypes and cultural assumptions that negatively impact public safety.

b. The course shall be administered by the employing law enforcement department as part of in-service training provided to each county and municipal police officer in this State. The course curriculum and an assessment as to whether each county and municipal law enforcement officer has completed the course shall be submitted to the Attorney General as part of the cultural diversity action plan established pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)]².

²b. The Department of Law and Public Safety shall cause the training course materials and online tutorial developed or identified pursuant to subsection a. of this section to be made available to every State, county, and municipal law enforcement department in the State and to each campus police department at an institution of higher education in the State that appoints police officers pursuant to P.L.1970, c.211 (C.18A:6-4.2 et seq.) for use in providing officer training and information promoting community outreach efforts within the law enforcement department’s community.

c. The Department of Law and Public Safety shall periodically assess the training course materials and online tutorial developed or identified pursuant to subsection a. of this section and update them where the department finds appropriate.²

²2. (New section) Every State, county, and municipal law enforcement department in the State and every campus police department at an institution of higher education in the State that appoints police officers pursuant to P.L.1970, c.211 (C.18A:6-4.2 et seq.) may provide in-service training of its personnel utilizing the training course materials or online tutorial developed or identified by the Department of Law and Public Safety pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).²

²[3. a. The chief law enforcement officer of each county and municipal law enforcement department shall develop and adopt a cultural diversity action plan. The plan shall include strategies to develop outreach programs that address the social needs and concerns regarding crime in the community, as well as efforts taken on behalf of the department in forming partnerships with various cultural, religious, and civic organizations, which shall include organizations formed on the basis of preventing discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. One of the primary objectives of each plan shall be to establish positive relationships between the police and various community groups that encourage a willingness to collaborate in identifying community safety issues and establishing innovative strategies designed to create safe and stable neighborhoods.

b. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of each cultural diversity action plan, the chief law enforcement officer of each county and municipal law enforcement department shall submit to the Attorney General the cultural diversity action plan adopted pursuant to this section within one year of the effective date of this act and at least once every three years thereafter. The Attorney General may periodically assess the plans to determine whether each county and municipal law enforcement department is meeting its goals in providing an education program required pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and formulating a cultural diversity action plan established pursuant to this section.]²

²[¹4. a. An institution of higher education which appoints campus police officers pursuant to P.L.1970, c.211 (C.18A:6-4.2 et seq.) shall develop and adopt a campus cultural diversity training course for the campus police department that includes instruction and exercises designed to promote positive interaction with the racial, ethnic, and religious groups within each campus police department’s respective jurisdiction. The training course also shall include instruction and exercises designed to promote positive interaction with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals within the campus community. The curriculum for the training program shall include, but not be limited to, a tutorial on:

(1) the various cultural groups within the campus community and the effects of diversity on community relations within each campus police department’s jurisdiction;

(2) appropriate methods by which a campus police officer may interact with members of the campus community representing various cultures and religions, with an emphasis on officer safety skills and conflict resolution techniques;

(3) best practices in law enforcement techniques when analyzing and solving problems on campus, meeting with campus community groups, and working with the campus community on crime prevention programs;

(4) the impact that police diversity skills have on overall campus police department effectiveness; and

(5) the campus community’s perception of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups, with specific attention to stereotypes and cultural assumptions that negatively impact campus safety.

b. The course shall be administered by the employing governing body of the institution of higher education, academy, school, or other institution of learning as part of in-service training provided to each campus police department in this State. The course curriculum and an assessment as to whether each campus police officer has completed the course shall be submitted to the Attorney General as part of the campus cultural diversity action plan established pursuant to section 5 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).¹]²

²[¹5. a. An institution of higher education which appoints campus police officers pursuant to P.L.1970, c.211 (C.18A:6-4.2 et seq.) shall develop and adopt a campus cultural diversity action plan for the campus police department. The plan shall include strategies to develop outreach programs that address the social needs and concerns regarding crime in the campus community, as well as efforts taken on behalf of the campus police department in forming partnerships with various cultural, religious, and civic organizations within the campus community, which shall include organizations formed on the basis of preventing discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. One of the primary objectives of each plan shall be to establish positive relationships between the campus police and various campus community groups that encourage a willingness to collaborate in identifying safety issues and establishing innovative strategies designed to create safe and stable campus communities.

b. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of each campus cultural diversity action plan, the employing governing body of the institution of higher education, academy, school, or other institution of learning shall submit to the Attorney General the campus cultural diversity action plan adopted pursuant to this section within one year of the effective date of this act and at least once every three years thereafter. The Attorney General may periodically assess the plans to determine whether each institution of higher education which appoints campus police officers is meeting its goals in providing an education program required pursuant to section 4 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and formulating a campus cultural diversity action plan established pursuant to this section.¹]²

²3. Section 2 of P.L.1997, c.257 (C.52:9DD-9) is amended to read as follows:

2. It shall be the duty of the council:

a. to develop policy proposals for the State and assist with coordinating efforts to promote prejudice reduction and prevent and deter crimes based upon the victim's race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or physical, mental or cognitive disability;

b. to assist in diffusing tensions in communities affected by such crimes;

c. to act as a clearinghouse for information and program ideas among the existing county human relations commissions;

d. to assist the efforts of the county human relations commissions in relieving tensions within the community;

e. to assist in providing training programs for members of the county human relations commissions and other interested community leaders;

f. to develop and present a biennial report to the Governor and Legislature on the status of bias and violence based upon race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or physical, mental or cognitive disability;

g. to establish and maintain a listing of conflict resolution programs and experts to be available as a resource for communities in time of crisis;

h. [to develop in conjunction with law enforcement agencies, including the Office of Bias Crimes and Community Relations in the Division of Criminal Justice, and the educational community cultural diversity training for law enforcement personnel] Deleted by amendment, P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill);

i. to develop in conjunction with the Department of Education and the educational, civil rights and human relations communities educational programs intended to educate, encourage, develop, promote and strengthen respect for human rights and cultural diversity and prevent and combat racism, intolerance and bigotry;

j. to assist local communities in establishing local human relations commissions;

k. to assess changes in local demographics and assist communities in adapting to minority population shifts;

l. to assist State, county and local government agencies with multi-cultural awareness programs;

m. to require that the representatives from the county human relations commissions report back to the counties regarding the work and activities of the State council;

n. to provide conciliation assistance and conduct all activities in confidence and without publicity; and

o. to make recommendations to governmental entities for the development of policies and procedures in general and for programs of formal and informal education that will aid in eliminating all types of discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or physical, mental or cognitive disability.²

(cf: P.L.1997, c.257, s.2)

¹[4.]²[6.¹] 4.² This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month following enactment.

Requires DLPS to establish and make available to law enforcement agencies cultural diversity training materials and online tutorial.