ASSEMBLY LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 456

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: SEPTEMBER 16, 1996

      The Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 456.

      Senate Bill No. 456 supplements chapter 11E of Title 32 of the Revised Statutes to grant full-time, permanently appointed police officers of the Delaware River and Bay Authority statewide police powers.

      Under the provisions of the bill, police officers of the Delaware River and Bay Authority would have the authority to arrest anyone who commits a crime in their presence anywhere within the territorial limits of the State of New Jersey.

      The bill further provides that any such authority police officer who acts under the lawful authority afforded him pursuant this bill and exercises those police powers beyond the jurisdictional limits of the authority would have all the immunities from tort liability and all the pension, relief, disability, workmen's compensation, insurance and other benefits as those the officer enjoys while performing his duties within the jurisdiction of the authority.

      Delaware River and Bay Authority police officers do not currently have statewide police powers. Their powers extend only throughout the jurisdictional limits of the authority.

      Senate Bill No. 456 is identical to Assembly Bill No. 1450.