2024 New Jersey Revised Statutes
Title 11A - Civil Service
Section 11A:4-1.3 - Certain entry-level law enforcement applicants, exemption
from examination requirement.
Universal
Citation:
NJ Rev Stat
§ 11A:4-1.3 (2024)
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media-neutral citation is based on the American Association of Law Libraries
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11A:4-1.3
Certain entry-level law enforcement applicants, exemption from examination
requirement.
1. a. The
Civil Service Commission shall exempt from the requirement to take an
examination for an entry-level law enforcement officer position, entry-level
sheriff's officer position, or entry-level State or county correctional police
officer position a person who successfully completes a full Basic Course for
Police Officers training course or a full Basic Course for Correction Officers
training course at a school approved and authorized by the New Jersey Police
Training commission within nine months from the date of hire as a temporary
entry-level officer under the provisions of this section.
(1) Any
person employed under the provisions of this section shall enroll in a training
course approved by the New Jersey Police Training Commission, and such person
shall be entitled to a leave of absence with pay during the period of the
training course.
(2) Upon
successful completion of the training course, any person employed under the
provisions of this section shall be appointed from a temporary to a permanent
entry-level law enforcement police officer, from a temporary sheriff's officer,
or temporary entry-level State or county correctional police officer to a
permanent entry-level law enforcement officer, entry-level sheriff's officer,
or permanent entry-level State or county correctional police officer, as
appropriate.
b. (Deleted
by amendment, P.L.2021, c.406)
c. (1) A municipal or county police department may
hire a person, exempt from the requirement to take an examination for an
entry-level law enforcement officer position pursuant to subsection a. of this
section, upon adoption of an ordinance or resolution by the governing body
authorizing such hiring by the police department and the adoption of a conflict
of interest and nepotism policy.
(2) A county
sheriff's department may hire a person, exempt from the requirement to take an
examination for an entry-level sheriff's officer position pursuant to
subsection a. of this section, upon the adoption by the county sheriff of a
conflict of interest and nepotism policy.
(3) A county
correctional facility, except one under the control or supervision of a county
sheriff, may hire a person, exempt from the requirement to take an examination
for an entry-level county correctional police officer position pursuant to
subsection a. of this section, upon adoption of an ordinance or a resolution by
the governing body authorizing such hiring by the county correctional facility
and the adoption of a conflict of interest and nepotism policy. A county
correctional facility that is under the control or supervision of a county
sheriff may hire a person, exempt from the requirement to take an examination
for an entry-level county correctional police officer position pursuant to
subsection a. of this section, upon the adoption by the county sheriff of a
conflict of interest and nepotism policy, without the need for an ordinance or
a resolution by the governing body.
(4) A State
correctional facility or department may hire a person, exempt from the
requirement to take an examination for an entry-level State correctional police
officer position pursuant to subsection a. of this section, upon authorization
of the Commissioner of Corrections.
d. Permanent
entry-level officers and entry-level officers serving in a working test period
who are employed by a municipal or county police department, county sheriff's
department, or State or county correctional facility shall not be appointed by
a different municipal or county police department, county sheriff's department,
or State or county correctional facility utilizing the provisions of this
section and municipal or county police departments, county sheriff's
departments, or State or county correctional facilities may not utilize the
provisions of this section to circumvent the intergovernmental transfer process
regulations established by the Civil Service Commission for officers which
requires written authorization from the departing authority, including, but not
limited to, the New Jersey Department of Corrections.
e. The
starting salary of a State correctional police officer shall be not less than
$48,000. Adjustments shall be made to the remaining steps in the salary scale
of a State correctional police officer.
f. The Civil
Service Commission shall promulgate, pursuant to the "Administrative
Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and
regulations and establish administrative processes that are reasonable,
necessary, and consistent with the provisions of this section.
g. A
sheriff's investigator in a sheriff's department shall be eligible for
appointment in accordance with this section through transfer to a sheriff's
officer position in that same department provided that:
(1) the
investigator has completed at least one year in the position of sheriff's
investigator in that sheriff's department or has served at least one year as a
police officer or sheriff's officer in a municipal or county police or
sheriff's department in this State; and
(2) the
sheriff's investigator is not over 35 years of age at the time of initial
appointment in accordance with this section to the sheriff's officer position.
Beginning on
January 1, 2023, a sheriff shall not appoint sheriff's investigators in
accordance with this section to more than 50 percent of open sheriff's officer
positions in any calendar year.
L.2021, c.7,
s.1; amended 2021, c.406, s.1.
