ASSEMBLY, No. 1508

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 8, 1996

By Assemblyman RUSSO

An Act concerning certain municipal police departments and supplementing chapter 14 of Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

    1. Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary, a municipality which has adopted the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes may, by ordinance:

    a. provide that no person shall be appointed as a member or officer of the police department or force unless that person has successfully completed a minimum of 60 credits towards a baccalaureate degree at an accredited college or university; and

    b. beginning five years after the effective date of this act, provide that no person shall be appointed as a member or officer of the police department or force unless that person has:

    (1) received a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; or

    (2) completed two years of active duty in a branch of the Armed Forces of the United States of America and received an honorable discharge therefrom, and successfully completed a minimum of 60 credits towards a baccalaureate degree at an accredited college or university; or

    (3) completed two years of prior experience in law enforcement and successfully completed a minimum of 60 credits towards a baccalaureate degree at an accredited college or university.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill would permit a municipality that is operating under Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes (Civil Service) to adopt an ordinance providing that no person shall be appointed as a member or officer of the police department or force unless that person has successfully completed a minimum of 60 credits towards a baccalaureate degree at an accredited college or university.

    The bill would also allow a civil service municipality, beginning five years after the bill takes effect, to provide that no person shall be appointed as a member or officer of the police department or force unless that person has been awarded a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. As an alternative to the college degree requirement, the ordinance could allow for the appointment of a person who has either: completed two years of active duty in a branch of the Armed Forces of the United States of America, received an honorable discharge and successfully completed a minimum of 60 credits towards a baccalaureate degree at an accredited college or university; or completed two years of prior experience in law enforcement and successfully completed a minimum of 60 credits towards a baccalaureate degree at an accredited college or university.

    The current civil service minimum educational requirement for a municipal police officer is graduation from high school or vocational high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

    The bill specifies that a municipality could only establish the higher educational requirements by ordinance; to make use of the terminology "member or officer of the department or force," rather than "police officer" in order to be consistent with terminology used elsewhere in chapter 14 of Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes; and to clarify the amount and character of the higher education qualifications established in the bill.

Permits municipalities operating under Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes (Civil Service) to impose additional educational requirements upon police officer candidates.