By S.P. Sullivan
Source nj.com
In New Jersey, you need a special license to become a plumber. Or a lawyer, hairdresser or bus driver.
But unlike most other states, there’s no licensing system for police.
Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday announced plans to create one, endorsing proposed legislation that would empower the state Police Training Commission to create licensing requirements for cops, as well as a decertification process for officers who run afoul of the law.
“Policing is perhaps the only skilled profession left in New Jersey that does not provide individuals with a license that shows beyond any doubt that they have been through rigorous training and are not just expected to — but are required to — live up to the highest professional standards,” Murphy said, standing in front of the Essex County Police Academy in Cedar Grove.
The measure, which has yet to be formally introduced, is supported by several racial justice groups and many of the state’s police unions.
State Sen. Linda Greenstein, D- Middlesex, and Assemblyman William Spearman, D- Camden, who chair their respective houses’ law and public safety committees, said they intend to introduce legislation starting the process.
Under the proposal, officers would have to pass a psychological examination and continue to take training courses throughout their career to remain licensed. They would also be prohibited from joining groups that advocate for “the violent overthrow of the government or for discrimination” against protected classes under the state’s anti-discrimination laws.
More than 40 states have similar systems in place already, officials said. Cops in New Jersey already undergo a host of training — both from their own departments and outside agencies — but departments abide by a patchwork of local and state standards. The measure wold apply to all of the state’s police officers and corrections officers.
The proposal was more than two years in the making, said acting state Attorney General Matthew Platkin. It stretched on as racial unrest over the killings of Black men and women by police led to protests in streets across the United States and here in New Jersey.
Officials said the move was not meant to punish the state’s police officers, the majority of whom perform their jobs honorably.
They were joined by a host of clergy and advocacy groups including the New Jersey Black Issues Convention, who have endorsed the legislation in part because it would create a uniform system of decertification — a term for the process of firing cops convicted of crime or other misdeeds.
In a series of stories in recent years, The Asbury Park Press documented cases in which cops were convicted of crimes and kept their jobs — or moved to another department.
The current system also allows for widely disparate outcomes for police officers accused of misconduct depending on where they are employed because of the state’s opaque internal affairs process. Right now, an officer accused of sleeping on the job could face more serious discipline than a cop who used excessive force, depending on factors including their rank and the culture of the department where they work.
Lawmakers and the governor said they would move quickly to pass legislation and stand up a new regulatory system, but they could offer no timeline. Both the Senate and Assembly have to pass the bill before Murphy could sign it into law.
“I’ll sign this thing as soon as it lands on my desk,” Murphy told reporters Wednesday.
He said the process would benefit from examining challenges faced in other states that require licensing.
“The only silver lining in the sort of better-late-than-never reality here is we get to model our process for licensing law enforcement based on all of the other models out there,” Murphy said.
The governor could not name which other states might serve as a template for New Jersey’s system but said the goal was to make it a “national model.”
New Jersey has passed a host of police reform measures in recent years, while others have stalled in part due to opposition from the state’s powerful police unions.
But representatives from several police unions were in attendance Wednesday to offer their support.
“We have the finest law enforcement officers in the country,” said Patrick Colligan, the head of the New Jersey State PBA. “When one of those members tarnishes the badge, we are all tarnished, and it takes a long time to get over that.”
Colligan said a uniform licensing system would address “unfairness issues” with discipline and firing around the state.
“This is not a bill to be feared,” he said.
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