Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal sent out the following law enforcement directive yesterday instructing all law enforcement agencies and officers on the appropriate use of COVID-19 information from public health officers.
Following is language lifted from the actual directive. To read the full directive, please click the link below and feel free to print this directive for members of your Lodge.
“Law enforcement officers across New Jersey have requested additional information to protect themselves when responding to calls for service at addresses where individuals with COVID-19 reside. To address these concerns, the Office of the Attorney General immediately engaged with the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH). In response, on March 18, 2020, NJDOH issued a memorandum to all New Jersey Local Public Health Officers instructing them to share with law enforcement limited information regarding those addresses where an individual has tested positive for COVID-19, but at the same time placing careful limits on both the use and dissemination of that information. The sharing of this limited information is authorized by the Emergency Health Powers Act, specifically N.J. Stat. Ann. 26:13-13-1, et seq. That decision will aid us in keeping our law enforcement officers healthy and safe, while at the same time protecting the privacy of all New Jersey residents.“
