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A1895
ASSEMBLY, No. 1895
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER
District 28 (Essex and Union)
SYNOPSIS
���� Requires training for constables.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning constables and amending N.J.S.40A:9-120,
P.L.1961,
c.56 and supplementing chapter 9 of Title 40A of the Revised Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� N.J.S.40A:9-120� is
amended to read as follows:
����� 40A:9-120.���
a.
The governing body of any municipality, by resolution, may appoint not less
than
[
2 nor
]
two or
more than 50 constables. To be
eligible the persons to be appointed constables shall be residents and
qualified voters of the municipality for at least
[
3
]
three
years prior to their appointment.
[
Constables
]
Provided they meet the training requirements of
subsection b. of this section, constables
may exercise their functions and
perform their duties anywhere in the county wherein the appointing municipality
is located.
�����
b.�� Within
six months of appointment, a constable shall complete a training course
conducted by an approved school as defined in section 2 of P.L.1961, c.56
(C.52:17B-67) which has elected to provide training to constables. The training
shall include an overview of Title 39 motor vehicle offenses; traffic detail,
spectator control, and similar duties; and other appropriate professional
development.
(cf:
N.J.S.40A:9-120)
����� 2.�� Section
6 of P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-71) is amended to read as follows:
����� 6.�� The
commission is vested with the power, responsibility
,
and duty:
����� a.�� To
prescribe standards for the approval and continuation of approval of schools at
which police training courses authorized by this act and in-service police
training courses shall be conducted, including but not limited to presently
existing regional, county, municipal
,
and police chief association
police training schools or at which basic training courses and in-service
training courses shall be conducted for State and county juvenile and adult
corrections officers
[
and
]
,
juvenile detention officers
, and
constables
;
����� b.�� To
approve and issue certificates of approval to
[
such
]
the
schools, to inspect
[
such
]
the
schools from time to time, and to revoke
any approval or certificate issued to
[
such
]
the
schools;
����� c.�� To
prescribe the curriculum, the minimum courses of study, attendance
requirements, equipment and facilities, and standards of operation for
[
such
]
the
schools. Courses of study in crime
prevention may be recommended to the Police Training Commission by the Crime
Prevention Advisory Committee, established by section 2 of P.L.1985, c.1
(C.52:17B-77.1). The Police Training Commission may prescribe psychological and
psychiatric examinations for police recruits while in
[
such
]
the
schools;
����� d.�� To
prescribe minimum qualifications for instructors at
[
such
]
the
schools and to certify, as qualified,
instructors for approved police training schools and to issue appropriate
certificates to
[
such
]
the
instructors;
����� e.�� To
certify police officers, corrections officers, juvenile corrections officers
[
and
]
,
juvenile detention officers
, and constables
who have satisfactorily
completed training programs and to issue appropriate certificates to
[
such
]
the
police officers, corrections officers,
juvenile corrections officers
[
and
]
,
juvenile detention officers
, and constables
;
����� f.��� To
advise and consent in the appointment of an administrator of police services by
the Attorney General pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-73);
����� g.�� (Deleted
by amendment, P.L.1985, c.491.)
����� h.�� To
make
[
such
]
the
rules and regulations as may be
reasonably necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes and objectives
of this act;
����� i.��� To
make a continuous study of police training methods and training methods for
corrections officers, juvenile corrections officers
,
and juvenile
detention officers and to consult and accept the cooperation of any recognized
federal or State law enforcement agency or educational institution;
����� j.��� To
consult and cooperate with universities, colleges
,
and institutes in the
State for the development of specialized courses of study for police officers
in police science and police administration;
����� k.�� To
consult and cooperate with other departments and agencies of the State
concerned with police training or the training of corrections officers,
juvenile corrections officers
,
and juvenile detention officers;
����� l.��� To
participate in unified programs and projects relating to police training and
the training of corrections officers, juvenile corrections officers
,
and
juvenile detention officers sponsored by any federal, State, or other public or
private agency;
����� m.� To
perform
[
such
]
other acts as may be necessary or appropriate to
carry out its functions and duties as set forth in this act;
����� n.�� To
extend the time limit for satisfactory completion of police training programs
or programs for the training of corrections officers, juvenile corrections
officers
,
and juvenile detention officers upon a finding that health,
extraordinary workload
,
or other factors have, singly or in combination,
effected a delay in the satisfactory completion of
[
such
]
the
training program;
����� o.�� To
furnish approved schools, for inclusion in their regular police training
courses and curriculum, with information concerning the advisability of high
speed chases, the risk caused thereby, and the benefits resulting therefrom;
����� p.�� To
review and approve new standards and course curricula developed by the
Department of Corrections for both basic and in-service training of State and
county corrections officers and juvenile detention officers. These courses for
the State corrections officers and juvenile detention officers shall be
centrally provided at the Corrections Officers' Training Academy of the
Department of Corrections. Courses for the county corrections officers and
juvenile detention officers shall also be centrally provided at the Corrections
Officers' Training Academy unless an off-grounds training program is
established by the county. A county may elect to establish and conduct a basic
training program for corrections officers and juvenile detention officers
seeking permanent appointment in that county. The Corrections Officers'
Training Academy shall develop the curriculum of the basic training program to
be conducted by a county;
and
����� q.�� To
administer and distribute the monies in the Law Enforcement Officers Training
and Equipment Fund established by section 9 of P.L.1996, c.115 (C.2C:43-3.3)
and make
[
such
]
rules and regulations for the administration and
distribution of the monies as may be necessary or appropriate to accomplish the
purpose for which the fund was established.
(cf:
P.L.1996, c.115, s.6)
���� 3.��� (New section)� A
constable who was appointed prior to the effective date of P.L.��� , c.���
(pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall complete the training
required pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.40A:9-120 within one year of the
effective date of P.L. , c. (pending before
the Legislature as this bill).
���� 4.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the sixth month after enactment.
STATEMENT
���� This bill requires constables
to complete, within six months of appointment, a training course conducted by a
police training school approved by the Police Training Commission which has
elected to provide training to constables.� The training is to include an overview
of Title 39 motor vehicle offenses; traffic detail, spectator control, and
similar duties; and other appropriate professional development.
���� The bill further provides that
a constable who was appointed prior to the bill�s effective date is required to
complete the required training within one year of the bill�s effective date.
���� The bill also authorizes the
Police Training Commission to prescribe standards for the approval of schools
that train constables and a curriculum, to certify constables who have
satisfactorily completed training programs, and to issue appropriate
certificates to them.