NJFOP has been pushing for expansion of categories of retired law enforcement officers who would be eligible to be security officers in schools…both nonpublic and public…as well as county colleges. NJFOP President Robert W. Fox maintains that expansion of the list of seasoned officers in our schools will only increase the safety and protection of children and individuals attending county colleges.

That bill, A-1400, was passed by the Senate and is now on the Governor’s desk for signature.

A-1400 bill expands the categories of retired law enforcement officers eligible to serve as Class Three special law enforcement officers and clarifies other provisions of law governing these officers. P.L.2016, c.68 established an additional category of “Class Three” special law enforcement officers under the Special Law Enforcement Officers’ Act to provide security in this State’s public and nonpublic schools and county colleges. 

A-1400 bill authorizes law enforcement officers who served in any law enforcement position eligible for participation in the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System, or who served as a law enforcement officer for a federal or bi-state law enforcement agency, to be appointed as a Class Three special law enforcement officer. The bill also removes the requirement that the officer be retired from their law enforcement position within three years of appointment as a Class Three special officer. 

The bill further establishes that Class Three special law enforcement officers may not be assigned to an extra-curricular or after-school function at a school or college unless that assignment has first been made available to full-time members employed by the municipality, school, or county college.

Finally, the bill includes county vocational schools in the definition of a county college to clarify that Class Three special law enforcement officers are authorized to serve in county vocational schools.