New rules will force N.J. law enforcement to publicize complaints against officers.
TRENTON, NJ — Law enforcement agencies in the state will have to police themselves much more vigorously under sweeping new rules announced today by Attorney General Paula Dow.
When the new policy on internal affairs investigations takes effect in July, police departments will have to beef up training, publicize summaries of the most serious complaints against their officers, and improve their record-keeping so that cases don’t fall through the cracks.
"It is absolutely critical that law enforcement agencies investigate allegations against officers thoroughly and fairly, and that we provide the public with meaningful data about the complaints made against police agencies and how they are resolved," Dow said.
She added that for police officers to perform effectively, "they need to have the trust and faith of the people they serve."
The changes come after years of complaints that the state’s guidelines were too lax and too poorly enforced. At some departments, police misconduct cases that went unresolved at the end of the year did not resurface the next year in their annual reports. There were also signs that yearly reports were not being scrutinized by prosecutors before they were sent up the chain of command.
For police departments, there are new requirements to keep files on individual officers and to monitor any patterns of misconduct. In addition, internal affairs units will have to follow through on complaints even if dismissed by municipal or superior courts.
Wayne Fisher, director of the Rutgers Police Institute who was a member of Dow’s task force, said the changes will lead to more transparency. Although local forces have always been required to report misconduct tallies to prosecutors, he said the new rules will ensure closer scrutiny.
Link:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/new_rules_will_force_nj_law_en.html