This bill mandates that county prosecutors initiate internal affairs investigations for municipal, county, and higher education law enforcement agencies in New Jersey. It amends existing laws to ensure that any complaints of officer misconduct received by these agencies are immediately transferred to the county prosecutor for investigation. Additionally, if a petition for a temporary extreme risk protective order is filed against a law enforcement officer, the petition must be transferred to the county prosecutor, who is then responsible for initiating an internal affairs investigation. The prosecutor also retains the authority to determine whether the matter should be referred to the courts.

The bill includes specific legal language changes, such as the insertion of a requirement for law enforcement agencies to adopt guidelines consistent with internal affairs policies and the stipulation that they must transfer complaints of officer misconduct to the county prosecutor. It also clarifies that the law enforcement officer's employer must take appropriate actions based on the findings of the internal affairs investigation, while ensuring that the officer cannot be terminated during the investigation process. The act is set to take effect four months after its enactment, allowing for necessary administrative preparations.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2C:58-23, 40A:14-181