New Jersey Senate Bill S1942

New Jersey 2022-2023 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/3/22
• Refer: 3/3/22

Caption

Permits local governments to request civil service law enforcement examinations; increases training reimbursement for law enforcement positions; removes certain law enforcement appointees from civil service eligible list; allows county hiring preference for county police departments.

Impact

The bill will permit county police departments to prioritize hiring county residents for police officer roles, which is a shift from existing regulations that only allow municipal departments to have such preferences. This is intended to ensure that police forces better reflect their communities. Additionally, the bill retains veterans' preference in hiring and introduces a preference for children of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, ensuring that these important groups receive priority in applications.

Summary

Senate Bill S1942 seeks to reform the hiring and training practices of law enforcement agencies within New Jersey. By allowing county or municipal police departments to request civil service law enforcement examinations, the bill aims to fill vacancies more efficiently by mandating the commission to hold examinations within ten business days of a request. This is a significant change from the current practice, which does not specify timelines for such examinations, potentially leading to understaffed police departments at critical times.

Contention

A contentious aspect of S1942 is its rule regarding the maintenance of eligible lists. Currently, when an officer is hired from an eligible list, their name remains on that list for other departments, which can lead to units losing trained officers to competing departments. The bill proposes to remove such appointments from all eligible lists for entry-level positions, aiming to prevent departments from training officers who might leave for better opportunities shortly after being hired. This provision has been a point of discussion among stakeholders concerned about the implications for inter-departmental relations and officer mobility.