Sponsored by:
Senator ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
Senator ANTHONY R. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes county sheriff to appoint Class Three special law enforcement officer to provide security at county community college or vocational school.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning Class Three special law enforcement officers and supplementing P.L.2013, c.21 (C.40A:9-117b et al.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. For the purposes of P.L.1985, c.439 (C.40A:14-146.8 et seq.), a county sheriff shall be entitled to act as a local unit, as defined in subsection c. of section 2 of P.L.1985, c.439 (C.40A:14-146.9), to appoint Class Three special law enforcement officers for the purposes set forth in subsection b. of this section.
b. Class Three special law enforcement officers appointed pursuant to subsection a. of this section may be authorized to provide security at a county community college or county vocational school on the premises of the college or school during hours when the college or school normally is in session or when it is occupied by students, teachers, or professors. While on duty in the jurisdiction of employment, an officer may respond to offenses or emergencies off the premises of the college or school when the offense or emergency occurs in the officer's presence or when it occurs while the officer is traveling to a school or college, but an officer shall not otherwise be dispatched or dedicated to any assignment off college or school property.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill authorizes county sheriffs to appoint Class Three special law enforcement officers to provide security at county community colleges or county vocational schools.
P.L.2016, c.68 established an additional category of “Class Three” special law enforcement officers under the Special Law Enforcement Officers’ Act. The law currently authorizes a local unit to appoint these part-time officers to provide security in this State’s public and nonpublic schools and county colleges. A local unit is defined as “any municipality or county having established a regular police force pursuant to law.” A person is eligible to be appointed as a Class Three special law enforcement officer if he or she is a retired police officer, less than 65 years old, and has served as duly qualified, fully-trained, full-time municipal or county police officer or was regularly employed as a full-time member of the State Police. The person also has to be physically capable of performing the job and have the appropriate law enforcement and safe schools resource officer training.
Under this bill, county sheriffs would be authorized to act as a local unit to appoint Class Three special law enforcement officer to provide security at a county community college or county vocational school while on the premises of the college or school during hours when the college or school normally is in session or when it is occupied by students, teachers, or professors. While on duty in the jurisdiction of employment, an officer may respond to offenses or emergencies off the premises of the college or school only if the offense or emergency occurs in the officer's presence or while traveling to a school or college. A Class Three officer shall not otherwise be dispatched or dedicated to any assignment off college or school property.