S3075

An Act establishing sexual violence liaison officers in certain police departments and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes and Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

1. a. The Superintendent of State Police shall designate the Station Intervention Officer as the sexual violence liaison officer for each State Police station.

b. The sexual violence liaison officer shall:

(1) serve as the station’s in-house expert on how to respond to sexual violence cases;

(2) act as the primary point-of-contact for each local sexual violence program and county Sexual Assault Response Team as established pursuant section 6 of P.L.2001, c.81 (C.52:4B-54) to coordinate an effective community response;

(3) when appropriately trained, provide in-house training on sexual violence and support training implementation by the Victim Services Unit;

(4) monitor the station’s compliance with sexual violence best practices as set forth in the statutory law and Attorney General policies; and

(5) serve in any other capacity deemed appropriate by the superintendent.

c. A sexual violence liaison officer shall complete specialized sexual violence training as specified by the superintendent.

d. A regional investigator of the Victim Services Unit of the Division of State Police shall:

(1) be a member of the Victim Services Unit, or its successor;

(2) complete specialized sexual violence training as specified by the superintendent; and

(3) represent the station at county meetings of the Sexual Assault Response Team.

e. A member of the Division of State Police shall be disqualified from serving as a sexual violence liaison officer or regional investigator of the Victim Services Unit if:

(1) the member has been the subject of an investigation regarding sexual violence, sexual misconduct, domestic violence, stalking, or sexual harassment; or

(2) a court has issued a protective or restraining order against the member.

f. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the sexual assault liaison officer from simultaneously serving as a domestic violence liaison officer or Megan’s Law resource officer.

2. a. The chief of police or other executive head of a municipal police department and force established pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.40A:14-118 shall appoint a full-time sworn officer of the department and force to serve as a sexual violence liaison officer.

b. The sexual violence liaison officer shall:

(1) serve as the department and force in-house expert on how to respond to sexual violence cases;

(3) represent the department and force at county meetings of the Sexual Assault Response Team;

(4) when appropriately trained, provide in-house training on sexual violence;

(5) monitor the department and force’s compliance with sexual violence best practices as set forth in the statutory law and Attorney General policies; and

(6) serve in any other capacity deemed appropriate by the chief of police or other executive head of the department or force.

c. A sexual violence liaison officer shall complete specialized sexual violence training as specified by the chief of police or other executive head of the municipal police department and force.

d. An officer of the department or force shall be disqualified from serving as a sexual violence liaison officer if:

(1) the officer has been the subject of an investigation regarding sexual violence, sexual misconduct, domestic violence, stalking, or sexual harassment; or

(2) a court has issued a protective or restraining order against the officer.

e. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the sexual assault liaison officer from simultaneously serving as a domestic violence liaison officer or a Megan’s Law resource officer.

3. a. The chief of police or other executive head of a county police department and force established pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.40A:14-106 through N.J.S.40A:14-117 shall appoint a full-time sworn officer of the department and force to serve as the sexual violence liaison officer.

b. The sexual violence liaison officer shall:

(1) serve as the department and force in-house expert on how to conduct sexual violence cases;

(3) represent the department and force at county meetings of the Sexual Assault Response Team;

(4) when appropriately trained, provide in-house training on sexual violence;

(5) monitor the department and force’s compliance with sexual violence best practices as set forth in the statutory law and Attorney General policies; and

(6) serve in any other capacity deemed appropriate by the chief of police or other executive head of the department or force.

c. A sexual violence liaison officer shall complete specialized sexual violence training as specified by the chief of police or other executive head of the county police department and force.

d. An officer of the department or force shall be disqualified from serving as a sexual violence liaison officer if:

(1) the officer has been the subject of an investigation regarding sexual violence, sexual misconduct, domestic violence, stalking, or sexual harassment; or

(2) a court has issued a protective or restraining order against the officer.

e. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the sexual assault liaison officer from simultaneously serving as a domestic violence liaison officer or a Megan’s Law resource officer.

4. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill requires a sexual violence liaison officer to be appointed to each State Police station and municipal and county police department.

The bill specifically requires the Superintendent of State Police to designate the Station Intervention Officer as the sexual violence liaison officer for each State Police station. The chief of police of a municipal or county police department, as appropriate, is to appoint a full-time sworn member to serve as the sexual violence liaison. The liaison for the State Police and for municipal and county police departments is responsible for serving as the in-house expert on how to conduct sexual violence cases; acting as the primary point-of-contact for each local sexual violence program and county Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) to coordinate an effective community response; when appropriately trained, providing in-house training on sexual violence; monitoring the compliance with sexual violence best practices set forth in the statutory law and Attorney General policies; and serving in any other capacity deemed appropriate by the superintendent or chief of police.

The liaison for municipal and county police departments also is to represent the department at county meetings of the SART. The bill provides for a regional investigator of the Victims Services Unit in the Division of State Police to represent the State Police at these meetings.

The State Police sexual violence liaison officer is required to be a member of the Victim Services Unit of the division; a county or municipal police officer liaison is required to be a full-time sworn member of the department. The State Police member or department police officer also is required to complete specialized sexual violence training as specified by the superintendent or chief of police, as applicable.

A State Police member or police officer is disqualified from serving as a sexual violence liaison officer if the member or officer has been the subject of an investigation regarding sexual violence, sexual misconduct, domestic violence, stalking, or sexual harassment; or if a court has issued a protective or restraining order against the member or officer.

The bill authorizes a sexual assault liaison officer to simultaneously serve as a domestic violence liaison officer and Megan’s Law resource officer.

According to the sponsor, having an officer specially trained in the handling of sexual violence cases at each police department will strengthen law enforcement’s overall response to survivors of these crimes. Working with survivors of these uniquely traumatic acts requires a significant amount of specialized training and expertise that extends beyond the current training requirement. The creation of a Sexual Violence Liaison Officer (SVLO) will ensure each department has an in-house resource that can establish departmental best practices and ensure departmental compliance with current and future law and policy requirements as they pertain to law enforcement’s response to survivors of sexual violence.