ASSEMBLY LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1508

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MARCH 4, 1996

      The Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee favorably reports Assembly, No. 1508.

      Assembly Bill No. 1508 supplements chapter 14 of Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes to permit the governing body of 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 its police department or force unless that person has successfully completed a minimum of 60 credits toward a baccalaureate degree at an accredited college or university.

      The bill also would 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 its 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 either has: (1) completed two years of active duty in a branch of the Armed Forces of the United States of America, received an honorable discharge from that branch of service, and successfully completed a minimum of 60 credits towards a baccalaureate degree at an accredited college or university; or (2) 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. An individual who has earned a high school equivalency certificate is also eligible for appointment.