Bill > S1556

Introduced Session

This bill establishes a grant program known as the "New Jersey Alternate Route Opportunity Fund" for the purpose of identifying, recruiting, and providing financial assistance to economically disadvantaged residents of this State who are seeking basic police officer training through the State's alternate route program. Generally, police officers in this State are appointed to a local police department before they complete the basic training course for police officer recruits. These police officer recruits are employees of the police department when they attend a police academy for this training. The police department to which they are appointed pays the cost of their training. But under the alternate route program, persons seeking appointment as a police officer who do not hold an appointment with a police department may enroll in the basic police training course at their own expense. Financial assistance would be available under the opportunity fund for alternate route trainees. The business and operations of the opportunity fund are to be administered by a board of directors under the general supervision of the Police Training Commission. The commission is responsible for developing and administering basic training courses for police officers and approves and oversees police training academies. The board of directors is to consist of a representative of the commission and eight public members appointed by the Governor. The public members of the board are to be selected without regard to political affiliation. They should have knowledge of, or interest in, police and law enforcement matters. The commission and the board are to mutually select a chief executive officer of the opportunity fund who will be responsible for organizing the work of the opportunity fund. The board is responsible for: developing and maintaining a Statewide system for the identification of police officer candidates in need of financial assistance to complete an alternate route program; devising methods for recruiting candidates; developing, establishing, and publicizing criteria for the determination of eligibility for financial assistance based on need and potential for success as a police officer; establishing procedures for determining the amount of each award based on need, according to the total financial need of each police officer applicant; reporting to the Governor and the Legislature on the performance of its duties; adopting bylaws and rules for its operation; and receiving and disbursing any contributions to the fund from private and public sources. A police officer applicant is eligible for an opportunity fund grant if the applicant has been a State resident for at least a year; has demonstrated financial need for an opportunity grant; and has complied with the board's rules and regulations. According to the sponsor, the purpose of the opportunity fund established by the bill is to provide economically disadvantaged persons with the opportunity to become a police officer and consequently increase diversity in the ranks of these officers.

Committee Categories

Shirley Turner (D)*,  Tony Bucco (R), 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document