(Trenton) Attorney General Gurbir Grewal  spoke before the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Monday, December 10 regarding Assembly Bill No. 3115/Senate Bill No. 1036.  
 
These bills would require the Attorney General to take over the investigation and grand jury presentation of every matter where a death occurs during an encounter with or while in custody of law enforcement. Below is his testimony.
“It is an important bill on a critically important subject matter.
I know firsthand the extraordinarily powerful emotions these incidents elicit, and the very difficult challenges these investigations bring.
I have sat with families who have lost loved ones, and I have also seen the heavy toll these fatal encounters take on the officers themselves.
I commend not only the sponsors, but also the groups here today in support of this legislation, for their advocacy and commitment.
One thing is abundantly clear: all of us are committed to improving transparency, accountability and trust between law enforcement in this state and the communities we serve.
That is precisely why I felt compelled to be here — to tell you in person, as the State’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer, as someone who has conducted, overseen and reviewed these investigations, and as someone who is committed to improving police­ community relations, that this bill may, in the end, undermine public trust in law enforcement and will replace a system that already does everything that the sponsors seek to accomplish and much more.”