Law Enforcement

When there is an act of domestic violence there is usually (and hopefully) a police report detailing the alleged incident. But what happens when the police officer is the perpetrator of the domestic violence? Well, New Jersey has just issued a new model police department policy for handling domestic violence incidents that involve law enforcement officers. The new policy would apply to all municipal police departments, as well as state and county law enforcement agencies.

According to long-standing New Jersey Attorney General Directives, if a law enforcement officer is found to have committed an act of domestic violence, that officer will have their weapons seized. (Directives 2000-3 and 2000-4). The new model policy is designed to ensure that police departments have in place clear guidelines when investigating domestic violence complaints involving their own officers. The new policy attempts to ensure a thorough fact-finding process that is fair to both domestic violence victims and the accused officers by incorporating the involvement of police chiefs and county prosecutors. The new policy also attempts to prevent any perceived intimidation or bias during investigations.Continue Reading Domestic Violence and New Law Enforcement Procedures