Bill > SB01109

This bill mandates that police training programs, including those run by the Division of State Police, the Police Officer Standards and Training Council, and municipal police departments, must incorporate tactical training on the use of deadly force, training on body-worn recording equipment and data retention, and cultural competency and sensitivity training. It also requires law enforcement units to develop and implement guidelines by January 1, 2016, for recruiting and retaining minority police officers, aiming for their demographics to reflect the communities they serve, with "minority" defined as non-white or Hispanic/Latino by federal standards. Furthermore, the bill amends existing law concerning investigations into deaths resulting from a peace officer's use of physical force, changing "deadly physical force" to "physical force" and ensuring the Chief State's Attorney appoints a special prosecutor to conduct such investigations, rather than having the option to designate an official from another judicial district. Law enforcement units will also be required to record and maintain information on any incident where an officer's firearm is discharged, including whether a death resulted, and are prohibited from hiring individuals previously dismissed for misconduct or who resigned/retired while under investigation for misconduct, and must inform other units if a former officer with such a record applies elsewhere.