In a recent decision, the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court interpreted several public employment statutes that impose hiring and promotional restrictions upon police departments in smaller New Jersey cities that are not of the “first class” or “second class” in population and which are not civil service
A proposed bill would allow New Jersey municipalities to adopt ordinances requiring police officers and firefighters to satisfy a minimum residency requirement. The legislation is currently awaiting Gov. Chris Christie’s signature. In 2012, the State of New Jersey passed a residency requirement for all public employees. The proposed measure would give
On September 17, 2015, a new Municipal Agency General Records Retention Schedule took effect that addresses the retention of video surveillance recordings. Local governments should be sure to revise their policies and procedures accordingly. The New Jersey Bureau of Records Management establishes records retention schedules for all public records. The
The New Jersey Council on Local Mandates has put the state’s police camera law on hold, at least temporarily. The statute requires that every new or used municipal police vehicle purchased, leased, or otherwise acquired on or after the bill’s effective date that is primarily used for traffic stops must
Acting Attorney General John Hoffman recently issued a directive regarding the use of body worn cameras (BWCs) by New Jersey law enforcement officers. While the decision to acquire body cameras is left to individual police departments and municipalities, the directive establishes foundational requirements for those entities that decide to deploy
In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a municipal ordinance enacted by the City of Los Angeles. In City of Los Angeles v. Patel, the majority held that the ordinance, which authorized police to inspect motel registration records without advance notice, violated the Fourth Amendment of the
New Jersey municipalities should be aware that the new law requiring traffic patrol vehicles to be equipped with cameras is now in effect. The new mandate applies to any vehicle acquired on or after March 1, 2015. The new legislation, which was signed last fall by Gov. Chris Christie, will
The Appellate Division recently addressed the scope of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-68, which allows a municipality to exercise “supervision and control” over a volunteer fire company, designated as its official firefighting organization. In Newfield Fire Co. No. 1 v. Borough of Newfield, the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division upheld an
