Some conventional wisdom for retired members
18 NEW JERSEY COPS â– MARCH 2018
JIM TOMA
STATE DELEGATE
Local 600 held its March monthly meeting in Atlantic City, coinciding with the NJ State PBA Mini Convention. This enabled many of our members to attend the informational meetings held throughout convention week. We had a great opportunity to learn about active legislation, programs and court decisions that will affect active law enforcement officers and retired members.
Several issues were discussed at our meeting. Here are updates, though some issues are fluid as of this moment.
On March 6, State PBA Director of Government Affairs Rob Nixon gave our members an update on Senate Bill 5, which transfers management of the PFRS from government control to an independent board of trustees. Nixon reported to the group that though there is some give-and-take still being worked out with the state legislature, the most important parts of the bill that will lead to the full funding and future solvency of the PFRS are in place. As we reported on several occasions, this is the clearest path to the restoration of COLA for our retired members,
I realize that there is no direct reference in the bill that states how and when COLA will be applied. Nixon explained that it will be at the discretion of the board of trustees, the majority of whom will be PFRS members. With the objectives of continued and permanent solvency of the system and the need and care of our members, I think the bill will have a very positive effect on all retired members. I will continue to update you if changes occur.
Another issue that came up at the meeting involved the ever-changing rules about qualifications for retired police officers’ right to carry. This includes in-state permits versus out-of-state permits.
On March 12, I was on a conference call with Detective Sergeant Bloom of the NJ State Police Firearms Investigation Unit, and we cleared up a couple of issues. First, all qualifications now will be uniform for active and retired. Flashlights will be needed for night firing. Second, if you are domiciled in the state of New Jersey, you are still restricted by NJ law 2C: 39-6.1 that allows a maximum age of 75, does not allow hollow points, requires qualifying twice per year and mandates carrying your RPO card.
The Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act( LEOSA), which is HR218, requires that qualified retired law enforcement officers carry concealed at all times. The federal law does not allow for open carry. Unless there is a need for a retired law enforcement officer to open carry, qualifying and carrying, as per and under the federal law, negates the need to apply for and carry a firearm under the New Jersey Retired Police Officer permit-to-carry program. Officers who have retired in good standing and choose to carry under the federal law must carry their photographic identification issued by the agency from which they retired and must maintain records for, and carry, their most recent qualification record, reflecting they have met the active duty standards required by the state of New Jersey.
Lastly, one of our retired members, Debbie LaSalle, spoke at the Mini Convention. Her story has been chronicled in NJ COPS Magazine previously. I thought it was important to mention again the work that she is doing for all members, active and retired.
Debbie is our disability liaison, a job that is personal because of her own tragic experience of being struck by a motor vehicle and suffering a traumatic brain injury while directing traffic as a Summit officer. Debbie continues to work tirelessly, not only for herself, but for the many who have experienced similar types of injuries. She has become a tremendous resource for those seeking advice on the procedural part of disability claims, as well as the rehabilitation and recovery end of the process. Debbie works with departments to become more educated about recognizing brain injury issues among citizens and proper procedures for dealing with these interactions. We all appreciate her work, and I urge anyone who needs advice on any of
these issues to contact Debbie at dlasalle @ njspba600. org. d
Debbie LaSalle, right, with Joy Melendez, Director of Education and Outreach for the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey.