The NJ Police Chief Magazine - Vol. 26, Number 10 | Page 8

The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | June 2020
Continued from previous page
The Assistant Director praised the NJSACOP for its “aggressive approach to police administration and training.”
New Jersey Attorney General Arthur Sills asked the Association to work for passage of a bill pending in the State Legislature.
The bill would permit the use of a “drunkometer” or similar mechanical device that would determine “the sobriety of a motorist
arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. The bill would require every motorist, as a condition of being granted a driving license,
to give his consent to taking samples of his breath or blood for the purpose of making chemical tests to determine the amount
of alcohol in the blood.”
1965
New Jersey Governor Richard Hughes was announced as a keynote speaker at the 53 rd annual NJSACOP
conference to be held in Spring Lake. It was also announced that Essex County Prosecutor
Brendan T. Byrne would also address the conference.
Supt. Pagano
(NJ State Police)
1980
Chief Polhamus reported at the May monthly NJSACOP Meeting that the Statewide Police
Emergency Network (SPEN) became a reality on April 30 th , and that implementation of
base stations will be included. The Chief thanked all of the Chiefs and NJSP Superintendent
Pagano for their efforts in promoting the SPEN program. Deputy Superintendent Brennan
of the State Police addressed the membership and extended the State Police’s support to
help make the new system a success.
1984
Under New Business during the June 7, 1984 State Chiefs Meeting, Holmdel Police Chief Bruce Phillips
“suggested that the State Association host a Police Memorial Service during Police Week.” This suggestion
turned into the annual NJ Law Enforcement Memorial Service, the first statewide service of its kind in the United
States, conducted annually on the Tuesday following National Police Week at the Great Auditorium in Ocean
Grove, NJ.
Chief Bruce Phillips
(Holmdel PD)
Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of
Justice Meeting with Attorney General Barr
US Attorney General William Barr recently met with the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the
Administration of Justice to discuss the current status of their progress regarding their final report, due October
2020. The Attorney General and the commissioners also discussed the way the commission could address key
tenets of the President’s recent Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities, promulgated yesterday.
The Attorney General tasked the commission with forging ahead with their existing work and asked them to look at
three areas of the President’s Executive Order in tandem. Attorney General Barr said three points in the Executive
Order must be prioritized: Certification, Databases, and Social Problems.
Work on certification would explore ways to incorporate a standardized certification process across law
enforcement, acknowledging that the certification requirements will have to be flexible, given disparities in size and
resources between urban, rural, and tribal agencies. Developing a database would allow agencies to report use of
excessive force into a uniform system accessible by all law enforcement agencies. Rethinking the law enforcement
response to social problems would delve into the intersection of homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse
and identify ways to fund social service providers who could reduce the burden of social service calls on law
enforcement.
While the commission’s work to date has been focused on other issues in law enforcement outside the scope of the
executive order, the commissioners will meld the thinking of their existing work by the points addressed in the
Executive Order on Safe Policing.
The commission will continue to hold hearings as it stays on course to produce a final report for the Attorney
General and the President in October 2020. Upcoming topics will include the use of force, culture, and community
engagement. Meanwhile, Commissioners are available to provide the Attorney General, at his request, with
feedback on implementation of the Executive Order on Safe Policing.
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