Criminal Justice (Law Enforcement)

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3011: Prohibits the use of drones by law enforcement entities.

This bill prohibits New Jersey law enforcement agencies from using drones for surveillance or other law enforcement activities, affecting police departments and officers statewide. Exceptions include drone use authorized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for counter-terrorism threats or by the forest fire service for wildfire monitoring (with a 350-foot altitude limit). It also bans drones for enforcing building and land-use regulations under state codes. Violating the ban can lead to civil lawsuits and the exclusion of illegally gathered evidence in court.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestricts law enforcement drone surveillance to protect civil rights (privacy), aligning with criminal justice reform goals of limiting over-policing.90% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill explicitly prohibits law enforcement drone surveillance, restricting a technology application that impacts data privacy and digital rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Law Enforcement Policing Emerging Technology

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1169: Requires AG to establish ballistics analysis device pilot program in certain municipalities.

This bill requires New Jersey's Attorney General to create a 90-day pilot program in the 10 municipalities with the highest violent crime rates (based on Uniform Crime Report data). Each participating police department would receive a ballistics scanning device to immediately analyze cartridge cases at crime scenes and access investigative reports. After the pilot, agencies must submit usage reports to the Attorney General, who will then recommend to the Governor and Legislature whether to make the program permanent with annual funding. The bill directly affects local law enforcement agencies in high-crime areas by providing new investigative tools and establishing a process for evaluating their long-term use.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill provides police with ballistics scanning technology to improve crime scene investigations in high-violence areas, enhancing law enforcement effectiveness within criminal justice system.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing Violent Crime

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1370: Requires AG to release bias incident data monthly.

This bill requires New Jersey's Attorney General to release bias incident data to the public every month, instead of only annually as currently required. It directly affects municipal and county law enforcement agencies, which must continue submitting quarterly reports on bias-related crimes to the Attorney General. The data - covering incidents based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or ethnicity - will be posted monthly on the Department of Law and Public Safety's website. The bill defines "bias incident" as suspected or confirmed violations of New Jersey's bias intimidation laws (C.2C:16-1). This change makes real-time data on bias crimes more accessible to the public.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires monthly release of bias incident data (race, religion, etc.), enhancing police accountability through transparency in reporting hate crimes and bias-motivated acts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3748: Makes supplemental appropriation of $3,000,000 to Division on Civil Rights.

This bill provides an additional $3 million in state funding to New Jersey's Division on Civil Rights specifically for upgrading the New Jersey Bias Investigation Access System (NJ BIAS). The system tracks bias crimes reported by state, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies. The funding ensures consistent and uniform reporting of bias incidents across all law enforcement levels. This is a procedural appropriation (not a new policy), directly supporting the operational capacity of law enforcement agencies to document bias crimes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides $3M supplemental appropriation for operational capacity of civil rights division, increasing state budget allocation for bias crime tracking system.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds NJ BIAS system to track bias crimes, enhancing law enforcement accountability and civil rights protection within criminal justice system.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations Civil Rights Law Enforcement

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3058: Establishes Deepfake Technology Unit in DLPS; appropriates $2 million.

This bill establishes New Jersey's Deepfake Technology Unit within the Division of Criminal Justice to combat AI-generated deceptive media (deepfakes). The unit will provide law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts with technical expertise, training, and evidence analysis to detect and investigate deepfakes - defined as AI-manipulated videos, audio, or images that falsely depict people or events. It requires the unit to issue annual reports on detection methods, technological advances, and policy recommendations, and appropriates $2 million from the General Fund to cover operational costs. The unit directly supports state and local agencies in addressing a growing threat to public safety and legal integrity.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $2 million for Deepfake Technology Unit, increasing government spending on public safety service per budget management focus.90% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEstablishes Deepfake Unit within Division of Criminal Justice to enhance law enforcement's ability to detect and investigate AI-generated deceptive media, strengthening investigative capabilities in criminal justice.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyCreates Deepfake Technology Unit to combat AI deception via cybersecurity measures, enhancing detection and investigation capabilities for digital media threats.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Law Enforcement Artificial Intelligence

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3534: Requires data collection and issuance of report on drug evidence testing by New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Sciences.

This bill requires the New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Sciences to collect specific data for six months on drug evidence testing conducted by law enforcement. It mandates recording details like whether field tests were performed, their results, whether lab analysis followed, and instances where field tests may have been incorrect. The Office must then issue a report to the legislature within 90 days, analyzing false positive rates and trends related to drug field test reliability. The data collection applies to all drug evidence specimens gathered during investigations of controlled substance violations. This is a data-gathering measure, not a policy change, aimed at understanding current testing practices.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates data collection on drug field test reliability to reduce false positives, enhancing evidence accuracy and accountability in criminal cases.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Law Enforcement Policing

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 2443: Requires transfer of certain excess animal control funds to prosecutors, municipalities, police departments, and Police Training Commission for enforcement of animal cruelty laws and training of humane law enforcement officers.

This bill redirects unspent animal control funds that municipalities and the state have held for over three years. Instead of returning to general funds, excess municipal funds are sent to county prosecutors (40%) and redistributed to municipalities (60%). Excess state funds go to the State Police (40%), county humane law enforcement officers (50%), and the Police Training Commission (10%). These funds must be used exclusively for enforcing animal cruelty laws and training law enforcement officers.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill redirects funds to enforce animal cruelty laws (criminal enforcement) and train law enforcement officers, directly supporting law enforcement within criminal justice.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1049: Establishes "Cop 2 Cop Sustainability Fund" to support "Law Enforcement Officer Crisis Intervention Services" Cop 2 Cop telephone hotline program; appropriates $500,000.

This bill creates the "Cop 2 Cop Sustainability Fund" and appropriates $500,000 annually from the General Fund starting in fiscal year 2025 to support New Jersey's 24-hour confidential Cop 2 Cop hotline program for law enforcement officers and sheriff's officers. The program provides immediate crisis intervention, referrals to counseling services, and maintains strict confidentiality for callers experiencing psychological distress, trauma, or stress related to their work. Currently funded by up to $400,000 yearly from Body Armor Replacement Funds, this bill adds a dedicated, non-lapsing funding source to ensure the program's long-term stability. The hotline remains operated by Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care and does not alter existing services or eligibility.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $500,000 annually from General Fund for law enforcement crisis program, directly increasing state budget allocation for public service.92% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds mental health crisis support for law enforcement officers, enhancing officer well-being and accountability within the criminal justice system.90% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Law Enforcement

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 2776: Requires Attorney General to revise law enforcement use of force policy; implements certain reforms.

This bill requires New Jersey's Attorney General to revise the state's law enforcement use of force policy, which hasn't been updated since 2001. The revised policy must include specific requirements like mandating de-escalation techniques, ensuring force is proportional to the situation, requiring officers to report excessive force they witness, and establishing clear firearm use guidelines. It directly affects all New Jersey law enforcement agencies and officers who must follow the updated policy. The Attorney General must publish the revised policy within seven months of the bill's enactment.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates de-escalation, proportional force, and reporting excessive force - directly enhances police accountability and aligns with criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms Law Enforcement Policing

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 2086: "Stephanie's Law"; Requires AOC to establish publicly-accessible domestic violence registry; requires law enforcement officer to search State's domestic violence registries when conducting arrest.

"Stephanie's Law" requires New Jersey's Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to create a publicly accessible domestic violence registry. This registry will list individuals convicted of domestic violence crimes, subject to final restraining orders, or found in contempt of such orders, including their name, aliases, physical description, photo, vehicle details, and last known address. Law enforcement officers must search both this public registry and the existing private registry during arrests to check for domestic violence restraining orders. Individuals wrongly listed can petition for removal, and those listed must update their address within five days of a change.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates domestic violence registry for law enforcement to enhance victim safety and prevent repeat offenses, strengthening criminal justice protections for victims.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence Law Enforcement

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