[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council
of the Township of Stafford 11-11-1986 by Ord. No. 86-50. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Police Department — See Ch. 41.
Whenever any words and phrases are used in this
chapter, the meanings respectively ascribed to them in N.J.S.A. 40A:14-146.9
shall be deemed to apply to such words and phrases used herein.
There is hereby established the position of
special police officer in and for the Township of Stafford.
Before any special law enforcement officer is
appointed, the Chief of Police or, in the absence of the Chief, other
chief law enforcement official of the Township shall ascertain the
eligibility and qualifications of the applicant and report these determinations,
in writing, to the Mayor and Council.
A.
Special law enforcement officers may be appointed
for terms not to exceed one year, and the appointments may be revoked
by the Mayor and Council for cause, after adequate hearing, unless
the appointment is for four months or less, in which event the appointment
may be revoked without cause or hearing. Nothing herein shall be construed
to require reappointment upon the expiration of the term. The special
law enforcement officers so appointed shall not be members of the
police force of the Township, and their powers and duties shall cease
at the expiration of the term for which appointed.
B.
Special law enforcement officers shall be residents
of the Township of Stafford.
A.
No person may be appointed as a special law enforcement
officer unless the person:
(1)
Is a resident of this state during the term of appointment.
(2)
Is able to read, write and speak the English language
well and intelligently and has a high school diploma or its equivalent.
(3)
Is sound in body and of good health.
(4)
Is of good moral character.
(5)
Has not been convicted of any offense involving dishonesty
or which would make him unfit to perform the duties of his office.
(6)
Has successfully undergone the same psychological
testing that is required of all full-time police officers in the Township
or, with regard to a special law enforcement officer hired for a seasonal
period which required psychological testing of its full-time police
officers, has successfully undergone a program of psychological testing
approved by the Police Training Commission established in the Department
of Law and Public Safety, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:17B-70.
B.
Every applicant for the position of special law enforcement
officer shall have fingerprints taken, which fingerprints shall be
filed with the Division of State Police and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
C.
No person shall be appointed to serve as a special
law enforcement officer if that person serves as a special law enforcement
officer in another municipality, nor shall any permanent, regularly
appointed, full-time police officer of any other municipality in this
state be appointed as a special law enforcement officer. No public
official with responsibility for setting law enforcement policy or
exercising authority over the budget of any municipality in this state
or supervision of the Police Department of a municipality in this
state shall be appointed as a special law enforcement officer.
D.
Any person who, at any time prior to his appointment,
has served as a duly qualified, fully trained, full-time officer in
any municipality in this state and who is separated from that prior
service in good standing shall be eligible to serve as a special law
enforcement officer consistent with the guidelines promulgated by
the Police Training Commission. If the Police Training Commission
waives the training requirements which are required by statute, the
Mayor and Council, if it chooses, may appoint such person as a special
law enforcement officer.
A.
No person may commence his duties as a special law
enforcement officer unless he has successfully completed the training
course and certification requirements of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-146.11, unless
such training requirements have been waived by the Police Training
Commission.
B.
All special law enforcement officers appointed in
service on the effective date of this act, October 1, 1986, may continue
in service if, within 24 months of the effective date of this act,
they will have completed all training and certification requirements
of this act.
There are hereby established three classifications
of special law enforcement officers:
A.
Class One. Officers of this class shall be authorized
to perform routine traffic detail, spectator control and similar duties.
Class One officers shall have the power to issue summonses for disorderly
persons and petty disorderly persons offenses, violations of municipal
ordinances and violations of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes. The
use of a firearm by an officer of this class shall be strictly prohibited,
and no Class One officer shall be assigned any duties which may require
the carrying or use of a firearm.
B.
Class Two. Officers of this class shall be authorized
to exercise full powers and duties similar to those of a permanent,
regularly appointed, full-time police officer. The use of a firearm
by an officer of this class may be authorized only after the officer
has been fully certified as successfully completing training as prescribed
by the Police Training Commission.
C.
Class Three SLEO Class III (SLEOIII) are authorized to exercise full
powers and duties similar to those of a permanent, regularly appointed
full-time police officer while providing security at a public or nonpublic
school on the school premises during hours when the public or nonpublic
school is normally in session or when it is occupied by public or
nonpublic school students or its teachers.
[Added 6-12-2018 by Ord.
No. 2018-09]
Every special law enforcement officer, prior
to the commencement of his duties, shall be furnished with a uniform
which shall identify the officer's function. The uniform shall include
but not be limited to a hat and appropriate badges which shall bear
an identification number or name tag and the name of the Township
of Stafford. The uniform shall also include an insignia issued by
the Police Training Commission which clearly indicates the officer's
status as a special law enforcement officer and the type of certification
issued by the Commission. All special law enforcement officers, prior
to the commencement of duties, shall be in uniform properly displaying
the appropriate insignia.
Whenever a special law enforcement officer's
appointment is revoked or a special law enforcement officer is not
reappointed upon the expiration of the term, the special law enforcement
officer shall return to the officer in charge of the station house
all Stafford Township issued uniforms, badges and equipment within
15 days of the revocation or expiration of term.
The special law enforcement officers shall carry
and return firearms pursuant to the guidelines established in N.J.S.A.
40A:14-146.14b.
Special law enforcement officers shall comply
with the rules and regulations applicable to the conduct and decorum
of the permanent, regularly appointed police officers of the Township,
as well as any rules and regulations applicable to the conduct and
decorum of special law enforcement officers.
A.
A special law enforcement officer shall be under the supervision and direction of the Chief of Police or, in the absence of the Chief, other chief law enforcement officer of the Township and shall perform his duties only in the Township unless in fresh pursuit of any person pursuant to Chapter 156 of Title 2A of the New Jersey statutes.
B.
The Chief of Police or, in the absence of the Chief, other chief law enforcement officer of the Township may authorize special law enforcement officers, when on duty, to exercise the same powers and authority as permanent, regularly appointed police officers of the Township, including but not limited to the carrying of firearms and the power to arrest, subject to rules and regulations. Any such authorization shall not be inconsistent with the certification requirements of § 46-6 herein.
Special law enforcement officers may be employed
only to assist the Township's law enforcement unit but may not be
employed to replace or substitute for full-time regular police officers
or in any way diminish the number of full-time officers employed by
the Township.
