(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Gordon Johnson and Charles Mainor requiring college and university police departments to adopt the Attorney General Guidelines on internal affairs policies and procedures was signed into law on Thursday.

“Having uniformity across the board can help avoid potential confusion and mistakes,” said Johnson (D-Bergen). “Rather than have these departments operating under different guidelines, this bill would require them to use the same guidelines as every other law enforcement agency in the state.”

The law now (A3493) requires police departments of institutions of higher education in the state to adopt the Attorney General Guidelines on internal affairs policies and procedures.

“These police departments are tackling the sort of problems and issues that other law enforcement agencies deal with,” said Mainor (D-Hudson) “It makes sense to bring these departments in line with the policies and procedures used by every other law enforcement agency in the state.”

Prior to this new law, only law enforcement agencies in the State were required to adopt and implement guidelines consistent with those governing the “Internal Affairs Policy and Procedures” of the Police Management Manual promulgated by the Police Bureau of the Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of Law and Public Safety. Under the new law, police departments of institutions of higher education would also be required to adopt and implement these guidelines.

The Senate passed the measure, 40-0, on Monday, March 16. The Assembly approved the measure 71-0 last September.