Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOSEPH A. LAGANA
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblyman CLINTON CALABRESE
District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblyman RAJ MUKHERJI
District 33 (Hudson)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Pinkin
SYNOPSIS
Requires Police Training Commission to develop accelerated training course for certain county corrections officers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning county corrections officers and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Police Training Commission in the Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of Law and Public Safety shall develop an accelerated course to be known as the modified basic training program for county corrections officers. The program shall provide the additional training necessary to allow an eligible county corrections officer to be certified as a county sheriff’s officer. The Police Training Commission shall develop the program within 180 days of the effective date of this act.
b. A county corrections officer is eligible for the modified basic training program if the officer has:
(1) previously completed a basic training course administered by the Police Training Commission pursuant to P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-66 et seq.);
(2) been certified by the county sheriff to transition into the position of sheriff’s officer based on the officer’s civil service test and seniority; and
(3) served in the county correction’s officer title for a minimum of 36 months in the facility under the jurisdiction of the county sheriff.
c. The modified basic training program shall, at a minimum, provide comprehensive and consistent training in law enforcement practices and concepts. Each course instructor shall be proficient and experienced in law enforcement practices and concepts.
d. The modified basic training program shall be offered at an academy approved by the Police Training Commission to provide police training courses pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-66 et seq.).
e. The waiver rule set forth in N.J.A.C.13:1-8.4 authorizing the Police Training Commission to waive all or part of a basic training course shall apply to an eligible county corrections officer taking the modified basic training program.
f. A county corrections officer who successfully completes the modified basic training program shall be eligible for permanent appointment to the position of sheriff’s officer in the county in which the officer serves.
g. The Civil Service Commission shall develop a written examination entitled the “Promotional Examination for County Corrections Officers to Transfer to the Title of Sheriff’s Officer.” The content of this examination shall be equivalent to the content of the entry level law enforcement examination.
h. The Civil Service Commission and Police Training Commission shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to implement the provisions of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a modified law enforcement basic training program to allow county corrections officers to transition into the position of county sheriff’s officer.
Currently, a candidate for a position as a county corrections officer is required to successfully complete an 18-week basic training course. A county corrections officer transitioning into a position as a county sheriff’s officer is required to complete an additional 26-week training course. This bill allows certain county corrections officers to utilize their prior training in conjunction with the modified basic training program established in the bill to accelerate the process of transitioning into a county sheriff’s officer position.
The bill requires the Police Training Commission (PTC) to develop the modified basic training program, which is to provide comprehensive and consistent training in law enforcement practices and concepts. The bill requires that course instructors be proficient and experienced in law enforcement practices and concepts, and that the program be offered at approved academies.
The bill provides that a county corrections officer is eligible for the modified basic training program if the officer has previously completed a PTC basic training course; has been certified by the county sheriff to transition into the position of sheriff’s officer based on the officer’s civil service test and seniority; and has served in the county correction’s officer title for 36 months in the facility under the jurisdiction of the county sheriff. Under the bill, a county corrections officer who successfully completes the modified basic training program is eligible for the permanent position of county sheriff's officer.
The bill also requires the Civil Service Commission to develop a written examination entitled the “Promotional Examination for County Corrections Officers to Transfer to the Title of Sheriff’s Officer,” the content of which is to be equivalent to the content of the entry level law enforcement examination.