Bill Text: NJ S116 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires training for law enforcement officers and assistant county prosecutors concerning handling of domestic violence cases.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee [S116 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-S116-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator LORETTA WEINBERG
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Requires training for law enforcement officers and assistant county prosecutors concerning handling of domestic violence cases.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning certain training for law enforcement and assistant county prosecutors and amending P.L.1991, c.261.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 4 of P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-20) is amended to read as follows:
4. a. (1) The Division of Criminal Justice shall develop and approve a training course and curriculum on the handling, investigation and response procedures concerning reports of domestic violence and abuse and neglect of the elderly and disabled. This training course and curriculum shall be reviewed at least every two years and modified by the Division of Criminal Justice from time to time as need may require. The Division of Criminal Justice shall distribute the curriculum to all local police agencies.
(2) The Attorney General shall be responsible for ensuring [that] training as follows:
(a) all law enforcement officers shall attend initial training within 90 days of appointment or transfer and annual [inservice] in-service training of at least four hours as described in this section. Once every three years, this in-service training requirement shall be satisfied through in-person instructor-led training.
(b) all assistant county prosecutors involved in the handling of domestic violence cases shall attend initial training within 90 days of appointment or transfer and annual in-service training of at least four hours as described in this section.
b. (1) The Administrative Office of the Courts shall develop and approve a training course and a curriculum on the handling, investigation and response procedures concerning allegations of domestic violence. This training course shall be reviewed at least every two years and modified by the Administrative Office of the Courts from time to time as need may require.
(2) The Administrative Director of the Courts shall be responsible for ensuring that all judges and judicial personnel attend initial training within 90 days of appointment or transfer and annual [inservice] in-service training as described in this section.
(3) The Division of Criminal Justice and the Administrative Office of the Courts shall provide that all training on the handling of domestic violence matters shall include information concerning the impact of domestic violence on society, the dynamics of domestic violence, the statutory and case law concerning domestic violence, the necessary elements of a protection order, policies and procedures as promulgated or ordered by the Attorney General or the Supreme Court, and the use of available community resources, support services, available sanctions and treatment options. Law enforcement agencies shall: (1) establish domestic crisis teams or participate in established domestic crisis teams, and (2) shall train individual officers in methods of dealing with domestic violence and neglect and abuse of the elderly and disabled. The teams may include social workers, clergy or other persons trained in counseling, crisis intervention or in the treatment of domestic violence and neglect and abuse of the elderly and disabled victims.
(cf: P.L.1999, c.433, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Currently, the Office of the Attorney General is responsible for training all law enforcement officers in the handling and investigation of domestic violence reports. Law enforcement officers are required to attend an initial training within 90 days of appointment or transfer. In addition, the officers are required to attend an annual in-service training of at least four hours.
In 2012, the Office of the Attorney General established an online domestic violence training program for law enforcement officers. The new online training program is intended to be used as a "stand-alone" program by officers to meet their annual in-service training requirement or to be used in conjunction with other forms of training.
This bill would insure that law enforcement officers are periodically required to attend in-person, instructor-led training. Under the bill, every three years the statutorily required in-service training could be satisfied through in-person instructor-led training.
In addition, the bill would require training for assistant county prosecutors involved in the handling of domestic violence cases. The training would be consistent with the training requirement for judges and judicial personnel. Initial training would be within 90 days of appointment or transfer and the prosecutors would attend an annual in-service training of at least four hours.
This bill embodies recommendations 13 and 14 of the Report of the Supreme Court Ad Hoc Committee on Domestic Violence issued June 2016.
