ASSEMBLY, No. 1686

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED MARCH 4, 1996

By Assemblywoman FARRAGHER, Assemblymen CORODEMUS, T. Smith, Assemblywoman Turner, Assemblymen Gusciora, Romano, Charles, Azzolina, Arnone, Gregg, Assemblywoman J. Smith, Assemblymen Roma, Garcia, Holzapfel and Kavanaugh

An Act concerning law enforcement and supplementing chapter 1D of Title 13 of the Revised Statutes.

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

    1. As used in this act:

    "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Environmental Protection.

    "Department" means the Department of Environmental Protection.

    "Division" means the Division of Natural Resources Police.

    2. There is created in the Department of Environmental Protection a Division of Natural Resources Police. The division shall consist of the following units and personnel which shall be transferred to the division, together with all of their powers and duties, in accordance with the "State Agency Transfer Act," P.L.1971, c.375 (C.52:14D-1 et seq.):

    a. The Bureau of Marine Law Enforcement in the Division of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety established pursuant to P.L.1986, c.150 (C.53:1-11.10 et seq.), with the exception of any personnel of the Division of State Police who may be assigned to the bureau;

    b. The park rangers of the Division of Parks and Forestry in the Department of Environmental Protection established pursuant to section 21 of P.L.1983, c.324 (C.13:1L-21); and

    c. The Bureau of Law Enforcement in the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife in the Department of Environmental Protection established pursuant to R.S.23:2-4.

    3. a. The division shall be responsible for enforcing the laws of this State in its parks, forests and wilderness areas and on its waters. The division shall carry out all responsibilities assigned by law or regulation to those units and law enforcement personnel transferred into the division pursuant to section 2 of this act.

    b. The division shall be administered by a superintendent who shall be appointed by the commissioner from among persons qualified by training and experience to effectively supervise the work of the division.

    c. The superintendent may make appointments to the division, train members of the division, create such ranks as he deems necessary, and organize and assign the members of the division in a manner conducive to efficient management and the effective performance of the division's assigned responsibilities.

    d. Personnel appointed or transferred to the division shall be subject to the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes. Nothing in this act shall be construed to deprive any person transferred into the division this act of any tenure rights under the laws concerning civil service, pension or retirement. A person transferred to the division under this act shall suffer no reduction in compensation.

    4. In accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act" P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), the commissioner may promulgate any rules or regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of this act.

    5. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month following enactment.

STATEMENT

    This bill creates the Division of Natural Resources Police in the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The division would contain two groups of law enforcement officers presently assigned to other DEP divisions: the park rangers in the Division of Parks and Forestry and the conservation officers of the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife. In addition, the marine police officers currently assigned to the Division of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety would be transferred into the new division. The division would be headed by a superintendent appointed by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection. The division would be mandated to carry out all responsibilities currently assigned to its component law enforcement units by law or regulation.

    The division would be charged with enforcing the laws of the State in its parks, forests and wilderness areas and on its waters. By consolidating the functions of three presently disparate agencies charged with law enforcement in natural and recreational areas, the division will be able to coordinate their activities and achieve improved operations and efficiencies. The superintendent is authorized to create such ranks as he deems necessary and to organize and assign members of the division in a manner that is conducive to efficiency and fulfillment of the division's responsibilities.

    Personnel assigned to the division would be subject to the provisions of civil service and would be guaranteed any compensation and civil service, pension or retirement rights they currently enjoy.

Creates Division of Natural Resources Police in DEP.