Sponsored by:
Senator TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
Senator ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Requires Attorney General to review use of force policy at least every two years.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning law enforcement and supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Attorney General shall review the Statewide use of force policy applicable to law enforcement officers every two years, or in such shorter time frame as the Attorney General may deem appropriate, and revise it as need may require.
In reviewing and revising the Statewide use of force policy, the Attorney General shall give due consideration to, at a minimum, the following core principles:
(1) respecting the sanctity of human life and serving the community;
(2) prioritizing other reasonable measures, including de-escalation, that must be attempted before resorting to the use of force;
(3) promoting the use of only objectively reasonable, necessary and proportional force, including the use of deadly force only as a last resort; and
(4) articulating other duties attendant to the use of force, such as a law enforcement officer’s duty to intervene, to render medical assistance, and to report and review uses of force.
b. The Attorney General shall transmit any revisions of the Statewide use of force policy to the chief or director of every county and municipal law enforcement department, every municipal and county prosecutor, and the Superintendent of State Police.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Attorney General to review and, if necessary, revise its use of force policy, as need may require and at least every two years.
The bill also requires the Attorney General, in reviewing and revising the policy, to give due consideration to, at a minmum, the following core principles:
· respecting the sanctity of human life and serving the community;
· prioritizing other reasonable measures, including de-escalation, that must be attempted before resorting to the use of force;
· promoting the use of only objectively reasonable, necessary and proportional force, including the use of deadly force only as a last resort; and
· articulating other duties attendant to the use of force, such as a law enforcement officer’s duty to intervene, to render medical assistance, and to report and review uses of force.
The bill requires the policy to be transmitted to the chief or director of every municipal and county police department, every municipal and county prosecutor, and the Superintendent of State Police.