ASSEMBLY, No. 1447

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 5, 1996

 

 

By Assemblyman HOLZAPFEL

 

 

An Act concerning police training, amending and supplementing P.L.1961, c.56 and supplementing chapter 4 of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes.

 

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

 

    1. Section 4 of P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-69) is amended to read as follows:

    4. Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S.11:22-6, a probationary or temporary appointment as a police officer may be made for a total period not exceeding 1 year for the purpose of enabling a person seeking permanent appointment to take a police training course as prescribed in this act, provided, however, that the time period may exceed 1 year for those persons enrolled prior to the 1-year limit in a police training course scheduled to end subsequent to the 1-year limit, and for those persons who, prior to the 1-year limit, have been scheduled to attend a police training course which commences subsequent to the 1-year limit. In no case shall any extension granted for the reasons herein listed exceed 6 months. [No person shall be permitted to take a police training course unless he holds] Every person holding such a probationary or temporary appointment shall take a police training course, and such appointee shall be entitled to a leave of absence with pay during the period of the police training course.

(cf: P.L.1974, c.186, s.1)

 

    2. (New section) a. A person who does not hold a probationary or temporary appointment as a police officer, but who is seeking such an appointment may take a police training course provided that person:

    (1) meets the general qualifications for a police officer set forth in N.J.S.40A:14-122 and such other qualifications as the commission may deem appropriate; and

    (2) applies to and is accepted by the commission for admission to a police training course.

    All costs associated with the police training course shall be paid to the commission by the person who has been permitted to take the course pursuant to the provisions of this section.. The person shall be charged a fee identical to that which the commission charges a governmental employer for the training of an employee holding a probationary or temporary appointment.

    b. The commission, in accordance with the provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this section.

 

    3. (New section) Upon the request of an appointing authority, the Commissioner of Personnel shall provide, in lieu of the eligible list otherwise required under N.J.S.11A:4-4, a list consisting of eligibles who have successfully completed a police training course pursuant to the provisions of section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (now pending before the Legislature as this bill).

    In any local governmental unit wherein Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes is operative, the appointing authority may select and appoint a candidate from the list of eligibles provided by the commissioner pursuant to this section. The governing body of the governmental unit may, at its discretion, reimburse the person it appoints from this list for all or part of the costs of training.

 

    4. This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month following enactment, except that the Commissioner of Personnel and the Police Training Commission may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of the act.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill would permit individuals who are seeking employment as law enforcement officers to take the statutorily required Police Training Commission courses before they are hired. Under current law, only individuals who have already been hired by local governmental units may be admitted to the commission's police training courses.

    Under the provisions of the bill, individuals who are interested in becoming police officers would be permitted to take police training courses if they (1) meet the statutory qualifications for police officer and (2) apply to and are accepted by the Police Training Commission for admission to a training course. The cost of the training would be paid by the student.

    The bill also directs the Commissioner of Personnel to prepare, at the request of a local government unit seeking candidates for police positions, a list of eligible individuals who have successfully completed police training. Local government units that are operating under the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes (Civil Service) would be permitted to select and appoint candidates from this list.

    This bill could result in significant savings for municipalities since they no longer would have to assume all the costs of training their new police employees. The bill, however, does give local government units the discretion, to reimburse individuals they have appointed for all or part of the costs of their training.

 

 

 

Permits persons not holding appointments as police officers to take police training courses; permits civil service employers to appoint such persons.