52:17B-228 Duties, functions of office.

7. a. The office shall be authorized to perform the duties and functions previously performed under the consent decree by the independent monitors and the Office of State Police Affairs, which general and specific duties and functions are codified in this act, and such other duties and functions as may otherwise be established or assigned by the Attorney General.

b. The office shall be authorized to conduct operations audits and independent analyses of data, as necessary and appropriate, to identify any potential disparity in enforcement and systemic problems that may exist that affect the integrity of motor vehicle stops and post-stop enforcement actions, supervision of patrol activities, training provided to Division of State Police members assigned to patrol duties, investigations of alleged misconduct, and any other matters that may affect the integrity of the Division of State Police, and shall make recommendations for appropriate actions by the superintendent or the Attorney General to remedy any identified problems.

c. The office shall have timely access to all data stored in the personnel performance information system maintained by the Division of State Police and any other records or data that are deemed necessary by the director to conduct independent analyses and to perform the functions authorized by P.L.2009, c.121 (C.52:17B-222 et seq.). Nothing herein shall be deemed to require the disclosure of records or data in violation of any constitutional or statutory privacy protections or any collectively bargained rights.

d. The office shall have specific authority to perform the following functions:

(1) review the substance, procedures and implementation related to Division of State Police policies concerning motor vehicle stops and post-stop enforcement actions, supervision of patrol activities, training provided to State Police members assigned to patrol duties, and the conduct of investigations of alleged misconduct and other internal affairs matters by the Division of State Police;

(2) monitor, review and evaluate the quality and timeliness of the Division of State Police's conduct of investigations of alleged misconduct, disciplinary actions and interventions, supervisory actions, personnel performance information system data and reports, consent search forms and reports, non-consensual search and drug detection canine reports, motor vehicle stop reports and logs, mobile video recording system tapes, and supervisory reviews;

(3) approve the curricula, prescribe trainer qualifications, and review the training of State Police troopers and trooper candidates on cultural awareness, law enforcement ethics and leadership, constitutional law pertaining to arrest, search and seizure, equal protection, and other relevant law enforcement issues the director deems necessary or appropriate to effectuate the purposes of this act;

(4) monitor, evaluate, require, and provide assistance or direction in effectuating any modifications to the design, implementation or use of the personnel performance information system, any mobile video recording system, any computer-aided dispatch system, or other system that records data concerning traffic stops and post-stop enforcement actions, used or proposed for use by the Division of State Police; and

(5) review all Division of State Police internal affairs investigations and dispositions, including any decision by the Division of State Police not to refer a complaint, from a citizen or any other source, to the office, or its successor, to ascertain whether the Division of State Police has complied with applicable standing operating procedures, whether the outcomes of those investigations are supported by the evidence, whether any discipline imposed was appropriate and proportionate, and make recommendations to the superintendent and the Attorney General for appropriate remedial action.

L.2009, c.121, s.7.