SENATE, No. 1546

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED OCTOBER 3, 1996

By Senators BASSANO, CODEY, Martin and MacInnes

An Act concerning Human Services police officers and amending P.L.1995, c.273.

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

    1. Section 4 of P.L.1995, c.273 (C.30:4-14.2) is amended to read as follows:

    4.    Human Services police officers appointed pursuant to R.S.30:4-14 shall satisfy the training requirements established by the Police Training Commission , at police academies designated by the commission, as follows:

    a.    All officers appointed pursuant to this section after the effective date of [this act] P.L.1995 , c.273 (C.30:4-14.1 et seq.), shall successfully complete, within one year of the date of their appointment, a training course approved by the Police Training Commission.

    All officers appointed pursuant to this section after the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall successfully complete, within one year of the date of their appointment, a training course approved by the Police Training Commission, which shall include training designed to prepare officers to handle patients with violent criminal backgrounds and sensitivity training to prepare officers to handle abusive situations between employees and patients, and among patients.

    b.    All officers appointed and in employment on the effective date of [this act] P.L.1995, c.273 (C.30:4-14.1 et seq.), may continue in employment if, within 18 months of the effective date of [this act] P.L.1995 , c.273 (C.30:4-14.1 et seq.) , they have satisfied the training requirements of the Police Training Commission;

    All officers appointed and in employment on the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill), may continue in employment if, within 18 months of the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill), they have successfully completed a training course approved by the Police Training Commission, which shall include training designed to prepare officers to handle patients with violent criminal backgrounds and sensitivity training to prepare officers to handle abusive situations between employees and patients, and among patients; and

    c.    The Commissioner of Human Services may request from the Police Training Commission an exemption from all or part of the training requirements of this section on behalf of a current or prospective officer who demonstrates successful completion of a police training course conducted by any federal, state or other public or private agency, the requirements of which are substantially equivalent to the requirements of the Police Training Commission

, and which include training officers to handle patients with violent criminal backgrounds and sensitivity training pursuant to this section.

(cf: P.L.1995, c.273, s.4)

    2. This act shall take effect 60 days after enactment.

STATEMENT

    This bill amends P.L.1995, c.273 (C.30:4-14.1 et seq.) by specifying that the training requirements for the Human Services police officers include a course which prepares the officers to handle patients with violent criminal backgrounds and abusive situations between employees and patients, and among patients.

    Also, the bill provides that the training requirements established by the Police Training Commission be satisfied at designated police academies.

    Lastly, the bill specifies a time frame for the successful completion of training requirements. Officers who are appointed after the effective date of the bill must successfully complete the training course within one year of the effective date. Those officers who are appointed and already in employment on the effective date, have 18 months to satisfy the requirements. These time frames are the same as those provided under the current law which this bill amends, P.L.1995, c.273 (C.30:4-14.1 et seq.).

    This legislation is part of a package of bills which was recommended in the Final Report of the Senate Task Force on Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, June 1996, and is designed to improve the services provided by the Human Services police.

Requires Human Services police officers to receive specific training concerning patient abuse and violent patients.