Bill > A2007

Introduced Session

This bill requires the Police Training Commission to develop or identify course materials concerning police misconduct to be included in the police basic training curriculum. The highest priority of New Jersey's law enforcement officers is to safeguard the life, dignity, and liberty of all persons, without prejudice toward anyone. Law enforcement officers are required to be guided by the principle of reverence for human life in all investigative, enforcement, and other contacts between officers and members of the public. Law enforcement officers have a moral, ethical, and constitutional obligation to protect and serve the citizens of this State, regardless of race or ethnicity, sexual and gender identities, mental and physical disabilities, and religious beliefs. The injury and death of unarmed African American men and women, and other people of color, due to police brutality and excessive use of force violates a law enforcement officer's most basic obligation towards the citizens of this State. Not only have the communities of the victims of police misconduct suffered, but these incidents continue to inflict intergenerational harm and trauma to families. Police misconduct has sparked protests in all 50 states and many countries around the world. Far too many individuals have sustained severe injury or died as a result of the illegal actions and mistakes of law enforcement officers. The purpose of this bill is to educate law enforcement officers regarding the dangers and consequences of improper or illegal police practices by modifying the basic training curriculum to instruct recruits on police misconduct using real life examples and case studies to instruct recruits regarding these tragic events and the impact these events have had on victims, families, communities, and law enforcement practices nationwide. Under the bill, the Police Training Commission is to develop or identify course materials concerning misconduct in policing to be taught by an instructor with an advanced degree in sociology, or another related field, and included in the basic training course for police officers. The police misconduct training course is to provide three credits towards the total credit requirement of the police basic training curriculum. The police misconduct training course is required to include, but not be limited to the following subjects: (1) analysis and discussion of real life examples of the injury or death of unarmed African American men and women, and other people of color, due to police brutality and excessive use of force by law enforcement and how those tragic events could have been avoided; (2) policing in the age of smartphones, including how smartphones have aided citizens in proving instances of police misconduct, resulting in law enforcement officers and police departments increasingly being held accountable for misconduct; (3) a law enforcement officer's duty to intervene when witnessing law enforcement misconduct, even if the misconduct is being perpetrated by a superior officer, and using the murder of George Floyd as a case study; (4) the consequences of poor policing, using the murder of Breonna Taylor as a case study to illustrate how mistakes may erode trust in the community and result in civil unrest, which impacts law enforcement practices nationwide; (5) understanding the impact of bias in policing and the impact bias had in the murder of George Floyd; and (6) how law enforcement officers should prepare for and cope with civil unrest and protests resulting from police misconduct.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D)*,  Shanique Speight (D)*,  Bill Spearman (D), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document