Bill > S419

Introduced Session

This bill requires law enforcement agencies to provide law enforcement officers with cultural diversity training and develop a diversity action plan. Section 1 of P.L.2016, c.23 (C.52:17B-77.13) requires the Department of Law and Public Safety to develop or identify uniform cultural diversity training course materials and an online tutorial that are made available to every State, county, municipal, and campus law enforcement agency in the State. These law enforcement agencies may utilize the course materials to provide in-service training to law enforcement personnel. This bill requires law enforcement personnel to receive this in-service training. The bill also requires law enforcement agencies to develop and adopt a cultural diversity action plan. The plans are to include strategies for outreach programs that address the social and criminal concerns of the communities, as well as efforts taken on behalf of the department in forming partnerships with various cultural, religious, and civic organizations, including those formed on the basis of preventing discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The plan is to emphasize positive relationships between the police and various community groups that encourage a willingness to collaborate in identifying community safety issues and establishing innovative strategies designed to create safe and stable neighborhoods and campuses. The bill requires law enforcement agencies to submit the plans to the Attorney General within one year of the bill's effective date and at least once every three years thereafter. The bill allows the Attorney General to periodically assess the plans to determine whether each department is meeting its goals in providing in-service training and formulating a cultural diversity action plan established by the bill.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Linda Greenstein (D)*,  Shirley Turner (D)*,  Nellie Pou (D), 

Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee (on 07/30/2020)

Official Document