An Act concerning certain special law enforcement officers and amending P.L.1985, c.439.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 7 of P.L.1985, c.439 (C.40A:14-146.14) is amended to read as follows:

7. a. Special law enforcement officers may be appointed for terms not to exceed one year, and the appointments may be revoked by the local unit for cause after adequate hearing, unless the appointment is for four months or less, in which event the appointment may be revoked without cause or hearing. Nothing herein shall be construed to require reappointment upon the expiration of the term. The special law enforcement officers so appointed shall not be members of the police force of the local unit, and their powers and duties as determined pursuant to this act shall cease at the expiration of the term for which appointed.

b. No special law enforcement officer may carry a firearm except while engaged in the actual performance of the officer's official duties and when specifically authorized by the chief of police, or, in the absence of the chief, other chief law enforcement officer of the local unit to carry a firearm and provided that the officer has satisfactorily completed the basic firearms course required by the commission for regular police officers and annual requalification examinations as required for permanent, regularly appointed full-time officers in the local unit.

A special law enforcement officer shall be deemed to be on duty only while he is performing the public safety functions on behalf of the local unit pursuant to this act and when he is receiving compensation, if any, from the local unit at the rates or stipends as shall be established by ordinance. A special law enforcement officer shall not be deemed to be on duty for purposes of this act while performing private security duties for private employers, which duties are not assigned by the chief of police, or, in the absence of the chief, other chief law enforcement officer of the local unit, or while receiving compensation for those duties from a private employer. A special law enforcement officer may, however, be assigned by the chief of police or, in the absence of the chief, other chief law enforcement officer, to perform public safety functions for a private entity if the chief of police or other chief law enforcement officer supervises the performance of the public safety functions. If the chief of police or other chief law enforcement officer assigns the public safety duties and supervises the performance of those duties, then, notwithstanding that the local unit is reimbursed for the cost of assigning a special law enforcement officer at a private entity, the special law enforcement officer shall be deemed to be on duty.

The reimbursement for the duties of a special law enforcement officer, which is made to a municipality with a population in excess of 300,000, according to the 1980 federal decennial census, may be by direct payments from the employer to the special law enforcement officer, provided that records of the hours worked are forwarded to and maintained by the chief of police or other chief law enforcement officer responsible for assigning the special law enforcement officer those public safety duties.

Any firearm utilized by a special law enforcement officer shall be returned at the end of the officer's workday to the officer in charge of the station house, unless the firearm is owned by the special law enforcement officer and was acquired in compliance with a condition of employment established by the local unit. Any special law enforcement officer first appointed after the effective date of this act shall only use a firearm supplied by the local unit. No such special police officer shall carry a revolver or other similar weapon when off duty; but if any such special police officer appointed by the governing body of any municipality having a population in excess of 300,000, according to the 1980 federal census, who [is a resident of the municipality and] is employed as a special police officer at least 35 hours per week, or less at the discretion of the chief of police and mayor, shall, at the direction of the chief of police, have taken and successfully completed a firearms training course administered by the Police Training Commission, pursuant to P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-66 et seq.), and has successfully completed within three years of the effective date of P.L.1985, c.45 or three years of the date of appointment of the special police officer, whichever is later, 280 hours of training in arrest, search and seizure, criminal law, and the use of deadly force, and shall annually qualify in the use of a revolver or similar weapon, said special police officer shall be permitted to carry a revolver or other similar weapon when off duty [within the municipality where he is employed] at all times while in the State. Specific authorization shall be in the form of a permit which shall not be unreasonably withheld, which is subject to renewal annually and may be revoked at any time by the chief of police. The permit shall be on the person of the special police officer whenever a revolver or other similar weapon is carried off duty. No permit shall be issued until the special police officer has successfully completed all training courses required under this section. Any training courses completed by a special police officer under the direction of the chief of police in a school and a curriculum approved by the Police Training Commission, pursuant to P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-66 et seq.), shall be credited towards the 280 hours of training required to be completed by this section. Any training required by this section shall commence within 90 days of the effective date of P.L.1985, c.45 or within 90 days of the date of the appointment of the special police officer, whichever is later.

c. A special law enforcement officer shall be under the supervision and direction of the chief of police or, in the absence of the chief, other chief law enforcement officer of the local unit wherein the officer is appointed, and shall perform his duties only in the local unit except when in fresh pursuit of any person pursuant to chapter 156 of Title 2A of the New Jersey Statutes or when authorized to perform duties in another unit pursuant to a mutual aid agreement enacted in accordance with section 1 of P.L.1976, c.45 (C.40A:14-156.1).

d. The officer shall comply with the rules and regulations applicable to the conduct and decorum of the permanent, regularly appointed police officers of the local unit, as well as any rules and regulations applicable to the conduct and decorum of special law enforcement officers.

e. Notwithstanding any provision of P.L.1985, c.439 (C.40A:14-146.8 et seq.) to the contrary, a special law enforcement officer may travel through another local unit to reach a noncontiguous area of the local unit in which his appointment was issued or to transport persons to and from a correctional facility.

(cf: P.L.1991, c.46, s.1)

2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month following enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill would permit certain Class Two special law enforcement officers to carry a firearm at all times while in the State.

With one exception, all Class Two special law enforcement officers are required to turn in their firearms to the officer in charge of their station at the end of each workday when they go off duty.

The one exception applies to Class Two special law enforcement officers who are appointed by the governing body of a municipality having a population in excess of 300,000, according to the 1980 Federal decennial census, and who are residents of that municipality. Current law permits those officers to carry their firearm when they are off duty within that municipality, provided they have successfully completed all the statutorily required training courses.

This bill would authorize all Class Two special law enforcement officers appointed by that municipality who have successfully competed the statutorily required training programs to carry their firearms at all times when in the State.