A1325

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman CODY D. MILLER

District 4 (Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester)

Assemblywoman MARGIE DONLON, M.D.

District 11 (Monmouth)

Assemblyman WILLIAM B. SAMPSON, IV

District 31 (Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Spearman, Assemblywomen Peterpaul, Murphy, Reynolds-Jackson, Lopez, Assemblyman Stanley, Assemblywoman Bagolie and Assemblyman Hutchison

SYNOPSIS

Requires AG to establish training program for crowd management and provide resources to municipal police department or force for large gatherings and flash mobs.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

An Act concerning training law enforcement for crowd management during certain large gatherings and flash mobs and supplementing Title 52 of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

1. a. For purposes of this section:

“Flash mob” means a gathering or pop-up party of 50 or more persons, typically organized through social media or other electronic communication, that occurs without advance notice to the municipality or other local governmental unit and that impacts public safety.

“Large-scale gathering” means any public or private gathering with greater than 500 attendees.

b. The Attorney General, in consultation with the Superintendent of State Police, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, and the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, shall establish a training program to enhance the ability of a local police department or force to manage an incident involving a large-scale gathering or a flash mob. The training program shall include, but not be limited to:

(1) general crowd management and crowd control techniques;

(2) crowd management and crowd control techniques applicable to juveniles;

(3) strategies for responding to social media activity related to large-scale gatherings or flash mobs;

(4) best practices for coordination and resource sharing with county and neighboring municipal law enforcement agencies; and

(5) best practices for ensuring the safety of attendees, the public, and law enforcement during a large-scale gathering or flash mob.

c. The Attorney General shall establish and maintain protocols through which the following resources may be requested by and made available to any municipal police department or force that requires assistance beyond its own personnel and resources in managing an incident involving a large-scale gathering or flash mob:

(1) access to social media monitoring tools and intelligence resources provided through the Division of State Police;

(2) mobile command units that may be deployed during a large-scale gathering or, if practicable, during a flash mob; and

(3) personnel from county and neighboring municipal law enforcement agencies and from the Division of State Police to provide support, as needed, in accordance with principles established under the protocols or any applicable memoranda of understanding or mutual aid plan.

d. The protocols required by this section shall include a process by which a municipal police force or department may, for exigent need, request immediate support during a flash mob.

e. Pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), the Attorney General may promulgate rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the Attorney General to establish a training program to enhance the ability of a local police department or force to manage an incident involving a large-scale gathering or a flash mob.

The bill defines a “flash mob” as a gathering or pop-up party of 50 or more persons, typically organized through social media or other electronic communication, that occurs without advance notice to the municipality or other local governmental unit and impacts public safety. “Large-scale gathering” is defined as any public or private gathering with greater than 500 attendees.

The training program is required to include, but is not limited to:

(1) general crowd management and crowd control techniques;

(2) crowd management and crowd control techniques applicable to juveniles;

(3) strategies for responding to social media activity related to large-scale gatherings or flash mobs;

(4) best practices for coordination and resource sharing with county and neighboring municipal law enforcement agencies; and

(5) best practices for ensuring the safety of attendees, the public, and law enforcement during a large-scale gathering or flash mob.

In addition, the bill requires the Attorney General to establish and maintain protocols through which the following resources may be requested by and made available to any municipal police department or force that requires assistance beyond its own personnel and resources in managing an incident involving a large-scale gathering or flash mob:

(1) access to social media monitoring tools and intelligence resources provided through the Division of State Police;

(2) mobile command units that may be deployed during a large-scale gathering or, if practicable, during a flash mob; and

The protocols required by the bill are to include a process by which a municipal police force or department may, for exigent need, request immediate support during a flash mob.