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Police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in New Jersey
| Police hiring, training, and discipline |
|---|
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| • Police collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) • Ballotpedia CBA dashboard •Reform proposals •CBA areas of inquiry and disagreement •Arguments about police collective bargaining • Index of articles about criminal justice policy |
| Click here for more analysis of police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements by state and city on Ballotpedia |
This page provides an overview of policies related to the hiring, training, and discipline of police officers in New Jersey. It is part of an analysis of police union collective bargaining agreements and related arrangements with police unions concerning hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in the 50 states and top 100 cities by population.
Background
Ballotpedia in 2023 examined the collective bargaining agreements, statutes, and regulatory codes governing the 50 states and the top 100 US cities by population through the lens of a series of research questions related to police hiring, training, and discipline.
Some of the hiring, training, and discipline standards for police officers not established by statutes or regulations arise from negotiations with police unions. Those negotiations are often codified in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Those agreements are the contracts that states and cities sign following negotiations with police unions. Some states and cities restrict collective bargaining, but may still negotiate with police unions using other methods. After negotiating with the unions, those jurisdictions sometimes establish police standards through documents including memoranda of understanding or meet and confer agreements.
Results
The tables below link to each question Ballotpedia used to analyze the states and cities and indicate how New Jersey handles police hiring, training, and discipline. To see the provisions Ballotpedia used to support these results, click here.
CBA basics
| CBA basics | Results |
|---|---|
| Is there a CBA with the police union? | YES |
| Is the current CBA publicly available online? | YES |
Discipline and accountability
| Discipline and accountability | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA forbid the transfer or reassignment of an officer as a form of discipline? | NO |
| Do officers have a right to request third-party arbitration for grievances, including over disciplinary actions? | YES |
Condition: Discipline can be appealed by the association through the advisory disciplinary arbitration process by written request to the director of the Office of Employee Relations within 20 days of the disciplinary action; Selection: Both parties agree to a list of at least three disciplinary arbitrators who serve on rotation; Provider: If the parties cannot agree to a list of disciplinary arbitrators, the selection procedure will be conducted by the Public Employment Relations Commission; Arbitrator authority: Limited to recommendations of guilt or innocence and appropriateness of penaltiesEmployees can choose to have disciplinary action reviewed by the Civil Service Commission instead of the advisory disciplinary arbitration process. | |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to discipline for misconduct? | YES |
Primary discipline authority: Department, State of New Jersey; Types: Official written reprimand, fine, suspension without pay, reduction in grade, dismissal; Restricted aspects: N/A; Challenge/appeal process: Union may appeal through advisory discipline arbitration process in articleName of dismissed/suspended employee shall be sent to union not to exceed 72 hours of notice to employee. Employee may request appeal and union representative at such hearing. Employee may request Civil Service Commission review if hearing is unsatisfactory. | |
| Does the CBA explicitly allow for a state ombudsman outside particular police departments to hold law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct? | NO |
Legal limitations or provisions
Training and counseling
Community relations and oversight
| Community relations and oversight | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA reference citizen review boards? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to community policing? | NO |
Investigations
| Investigations | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to misconduct investigations? | YES |
Disciplinary procedure | |
| Does the CBA require notice to officers of investigations? | YES |
Conditions: N/A; Timeline: Charges must be brought within 45 days; Content: Must include the nature of formal charges | |
| Does the CBA determine a timeline for investigations? | YES |
Timeline to launch: Charges must be brought within 45 days; Timeline to conclude: N/A | |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to compensation during misconduct investigations? | YES |
Employees under investigation will continue to receive compensation. | |
Evidence and records
| Evidence and records | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA have provisions related to the use of body-worn cameras or body-worn camera video evidence? | NO |
| Does the CBA regulate processes for retaining officer disciplinary records? | NO |
Qualifications and evaluation
| Qualifications and evaluation | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA require performance evaluations? | NO |
| Does the CBA restrict licensing procedures for law enforcement officers or departments? | NO |
Union authority
| Union authority | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA limit union authority to pay and benefits issues? | NO |
| Does the CBA give the union the power to approve or disapprove new training programs for law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions involving the union in the process for promotions, unit assignments, and transfers? | YES |
Besides Department of Corrections, departments may send job postings to union | |
See also
Footnotes
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