ASSEMBLY, No. 2403

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED OCTOBER 7, 1996

By Assemblymen GREENWALD, DALTON and Roberts

An Act concerning armored car guards and supplementing Title 45 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:

    "Armored car guard" means an employee of an armored car company who is licensed to carry a handgun pursuant to N.J.S.2C:58-4.

    "Commission" means the Police Training Commission established pursuant to Section 1 of P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-66 et seq.) or officers or employees acting on its behalf.

    2. a. An armored car guard shall not assume his official duties until the guard has satisfactorily completed the training program established pursuant to the provisions of section 3 of this act or received a waiver. Upon satisfactory completion of the training program or receipt of a waiver and payment of any required fee, the commission shall issue a certificate to the armored car guard.

    b. An armored car guard who was licensed to carry a handgun prior to the effective date of this act shall complete the training program or receive a waiver within one year of the effective date of this act.

    3. The commission shall establish a training program for armored car guards. The training program shall include, but not be limited to, instruction in the handling of firearms, justifiable use of force, crisis response and intervention, protection of rights of citizens and community safety.

    4. The commission shall:

    a. Implement and administer the training program required under this act;

    b. Certify schools to provide the training required under this act;

    c. Establish minimum qualifications for instructors and certify instructors who meet these qualifications;

    d. Certify armored car guards who satisfactorily complete training requirements and issue certificates of completion;

    e. Grant waivers from the requirements of this act to armored car guards who have completed a training program which is substantially similar to or exceeds the requirements of the program established under this act;

    f. Promulgate rules and regulations to implement the training program required pursuant to this act; and

    g. Establish such fees as shall be necessary to defray the actual cost of establishing and implementing the training program required under this act.

    5. The commission shall revoke the certificate of an armored car guard who obtained it on the basis of false or fraudulent information or who no longer meets the conditions for certification.

    6. A minimum of two armored car guards shall be present when, in the actual course of official duties, any coin, currency, checks or other negotiable instruments are received, transported, given or delivered by or to an armored car guard.

    7. Any person, corporation or entity which employs an armored car guard in violation of the provisions of this act shall be fined $2,000. An armored car guard who violates any provision of this act shall be fined $500.

    8. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month after enactment; however, the commission may take any action prior to the effective date necessary for its timely implementation.

STATEMENT

    This bill requires the Police Training Commission to implement a training program for armored car guards who are licensed to carry a handgun pursuant to N.J.S.2C:58-4. The training program would include, but not be limited to, instruction in the handling of firearms, justifiable use of force, crisis response and intervention, protection of rights of citizens and community safety. Armored car guards currently receive certain firearms training prior to being licensed to carry a handgun pursuant to statute and regulations; this bill expands the scope of their training.

    The bill requires an armored car guard to satisfactorily complete this training or receive a waiver from the commission prior to assuming his official duties. Upon satisfactory completion of the training program or a waiver, the commission would issue a certificate to the armored car guard. An armored car guard who was licensed to carry a handgun prior to the bill's effective date would be required to complete the training program within one year.

    The bill requires the commission to implement and administer the training program, certify schools to provide the training, establish minimum qualifications and certify instructors to provide the training, and certify armored car guards who have satisfactorily completed training requirements. The commission also would be empowered to grant waivers from the requirements of the bill to armored car guards who have completed training which is substantially similar to or exceeds the bill's requirements; to set a fee for certification to defray the actual cost of the training program; and promulgate regulations to implement the training program.

    The commission is authorized to revoke any certificate issued to an armored car guard if any false or fraudulent information was used to obtain certification or whenever it learns of any change in circumstances that would have rendered the guard ineligible for the original certification.

    The bill also requires that a minimum of two armored car guards be present when, in the actual course of their official duties, any coin, currency, checks or other negotiable instruments are received, transported, given or delivered.

    A person, corporation or entity employing armored car guards that violates the bill's provisions would be fined $2,000; an armored car guard who violates any provision of the bill would be fined $500.

Establishes training and staffing requirements for armored car guards.