Sponsored by:

Assemblyman JOSEPH CRYAN

District 20 (Union)

Assemblyman ALBERT COUTINHO

District 29 (Essex)

SYNOPSIS

Permits municipalities to use auxiliary police in non-emergency situations.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

An Act concerning auxiliary police and supplementing chapter 14 of Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

1. a. As used in this section:

"Emergency" means an emergency as defined in section 3 of P.L.1953 c.438 (C.App.A:9-33.1).

"Volunteer auxiliary police" means auxiliary police organized pursuant to section 13 of P.L.1942, c.251 (C.App.A:9-45)

b. (1) In situations not related to an emergency, a municipality may use volunteer auxiliary police to perform routine traffic detail, spectator control and similar duties.

(2) A municipality may authorize a volunteer auxiliary police officer to use a firearm in the performance of duties pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection b. of this section only if the officer has been fully certified as having successfully completed training as prescribed by the Police Training Commission established in the Department of Law and Public Safety pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-70). The training required for a volunteer auxiliary police officer to use a firearm is the same as the training required before a special law enforcement officer may be authorized to use a firearm pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1985, c.439 (C.40A:14-146.11)

c. This section does not change the rights and duties of volunteer auxiliary police in a time of emergency or the Governor's authority to issue orders concerning auxiliary police in times of emergency.

2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month following enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill permits municipalities to use volunteer auxiliary police in non-emergency situations for routine traffic detail, spectator control and other similar duties. The bill also permits auxiliary police to use firearms if they have completed a training course administered by the Police Training Commission that is the equivalent to the training currently required for special law enforcement officers. The bill would not affect the duties and rights of auxiliary police during an emergency.

Under current law, volunteer auxiliary police may only be used in a time of emergency.