Bill Text: NJ S197 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Clarifies that municipalities that failed to fill police vacancies created by retirements are eligible for "Safe and Secure Communities" grants.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [S197 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-S197-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator CHRIS A. BROWN
District 2 (Atlantic)
SYNOPSIS
Clarifies that municipalities that failed to fill police vacancies created by retirements are eligible for "Safe and Secure Communities" grants.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the "Safe and Secure Communities Act" and amending P.L.1993, c.220.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 6 of P.L.1993, c.220 (C.52:17B-164) is amended to read as follows:
6. a. An eligible municipality may apply to the Attorney General for a grant from the fund to pay the initial salaries of police officers and other law enforcement personnel deployed in a law enforcement project which is designed to meet the objectives of this act. A municipality which receives a grant for a project shall be responsible for paying the fringe benefits of all police officers or other law enforcement personnel hired, which shall be deemed the local cash match. A municipality shall further agree, as a condition of a grant awarded pursuant to this act, not to reduce its regular complement of police officers and other law enforcement personnel during the grant period; provided, however, if a governing body of a municipality has determined for reasons of economy not to fill a vacant law enforcement position created by the retirement of a law enforcement officer, that vacancy shall not be deemed to constitute a reduction of the local governmental unit's regular complement of police officers and disqualify the municipality for an award under this act.
b. Applications for project grants shall be made in a manner prescribed by the Attorney General. The grant application shall describe the municipality's need for grant funding, the purpose and duration of the proposed project, how the funding will be used to further the objectives stated in section 4 of this act, and the indicators by which progress in achieving these objectives and the project's purpose will be measured.
(cf: P.L.1993, c.220, s.6)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
As a condition of eligibility for a grant under the "Safe and Secure Communities Act," P.L.1993, 220 (C.52:17B-159 et seq.), municipalities are required to agree not to reduce their regular complement of police officers and other law enforcement personnel.
In response to the national economic downturn, and demands for taxpayer savings, some municipalities decided not to fill law enforcement vacancies that were created by retirements. This policy decision, which was designed to meet harsh economic realities and address local taxpayer concerns, is now hindering these municipalities in their efforts to fill these vacancies. Technically, these municipalities reduced their regular complement of police officers and consequently are no longer eligible for the "Safe and Secure Communities" grant moneys that provide funding for the salaries of police officers and law enforcement personnel deployed for local community law enforcement projects.
This bill provides that a municipality's decision not to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of a law enforcement officer for reasons of economy is not to be considered a reduction of a municipality's regular complement of police officers and thus disqualify the unit for an award under the "Safe and Secure Communities Act."
