The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | January 2024
Continued from previous page Section 5 . Option of the Association Attorney : If the member requesting assistance chooses to use the Association Attorney , who for any reason feels that he does not wish to handle the matter , the financial assistance will be the maximum sum of $ 1,000 .
In short , the formal Legal Aid ” process requires a written application ( which can be obtained from the NJSACOP State Office ) and is limited to a maximum of $ 1,000 in financial assistance . The matter at issue must relate to the member ’ s official conduct as Chief of Police . Further , the chief must be a member “ in good standing ,” which is defined in Article III , Section 15 of the NJSACOP Constitution as “ Members are considered to be in Good Standing if their annual dues are paid in full as of the first day of May of the current calendar year and the member shall have attended at least five ( 5 ) Regular Business Meetings of the Association during the preceding twelve ( 12 ) months . Any extenuating circumstances may be appealed to the Executive Board …”
In addition to these internal operating rules governing the provision of legal assistance , the federal Internal Revenue Code states that “ no part of the net earnings ” of a tax-exempt organization ( such as the NJSACOP ) may “ inure to the benefit ” of an individual member . The IRS has made clear that this applies to the payment of a member ’ s legal costs . Some exception may be made for a circumstance where the exempt organization can achieve some common good for its members . This is a very fine line to walk , and it is important for a not-for-profit organization to zealously protect its exempt status . Failure to do so can result in substantial fines or even loss of the tax-exempt status .
Of course , this does not mean that the NJSACOP does not get involved in legal matters related to the position of Chief of Police or matters involving individual members . The association itself frequently takes part as a party to court cases , with our General Counsel representing the NJSACOP as a whole . While this is often an expensive option , it helps guarantee that our attorney ’ s experience and expertise is put to use in the matter , and that the interests of the membership as a whole are represented ( thereby avoiding potential issues of personal inurement ). This is the route most often taken in matters involving members that have proceeded to litigation where the issues have broad implications for the membership as a whole and for the office of Chief of Police .
We hope the above helps explain what might otherwise seem to be a somewhat mysterious process and gives our members some insight into what goes into the decisions that the Association needs to make on requests for assistance in legal matters that may arise during the course of a Chief ’ s tenure in office .
2023 Law Enforcement Fatalities Report Reveals Law Enforcement Deaths Dropped
The number of law enforcement professionals nationwide who died in the line of duty in 2023 decreased 39 % compared to the previous year , according to preliminary data provided by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund ( NLEOMF ), the leading authority on officer fatalities . As reported in their official 2023 End-of-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatality Report , the NLEOMF data shows that 136 federal , state , county , municipal , military , tribal and campus officers have died in the line of duty in 2023 , representing a 39 % decrease compared to the 224 officers who died in the line of duty in 2022 .
“ There is not such thing as ‘ good news ’ when reporting even a single officer being killed in the line-of-duty ,” said National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund CEO Bill Alexander . “ Yet we are encouraged to see fewer overall officer deaths across all major categories in 2023 . Using and reporting on this data allows us to highlight the continuing dangers faced by our law enforcement professionals , particularly the number of officers who are shot and killed each year .”
Firearms Related Fatalities Firearms-related fatalities have claimed the lives of 47 officers in 2023 , which represents a 25 % decrease from the 63 officers killed by gunfire in 2022 yet was the leading cause of death .
Of the 47 firearms fatalities : |
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9 were attempting to make an arrest |
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7 were handling domestic disturbance calls |
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6 were investigating suspicious persons or circumstances |
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5 were ambushed |
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5 were responding to robbery / burglary in-progress calls |
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