§ 52:17B-67 — Definitions.

2. As used in this act: "Applicant" means an individual who applies to the Police Training Commission to become licensed as a law enforcement officer in accordance with P.L.2022, c.65 (C.52:17B-71a et al.). "Approved school" shall mean a school approved and authorized by the Police Training Commission to give police training courses or a training course for State and county correctional police officers and juvenile detention officers as prescribed in this act. "Commission" shall mean the Police Training Commission or officers or employees thereof acting on its behalf. "County" shall mean any county which within its jurisdiction has or shall have a law enforcement unit as defined in this act. "Discipline subject to appeal" means a removal, disciplinary demotion, suspension, or fine of more than five days, or fewer where the aggregate number of days the employee was suspended or fined in any one calendar year is 15 or more days, or where the employee received more than three suspensions or fines of five days or fewer in one calendar year. "Law enforcement officer" means any person who is employed as a sworn member of any State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency, department, division, or instrumentality of those governments who is statutorily empowered to act for the detection, investigation, arrest, conviction, detention, or rehabilitation of persons violating the criminal laws of the State. This term shall include, but is not limited to, sworn members of the New Jersey State Police, the Division of Criminal Justice, and the Youth Justice Commission; State correctional police officers pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1968, c.427 (C.2A:154-4); county correctional police officers pursuant to N.J.S.2A:154-3; State Parole officers pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1968, c.427 (C.2A:154-4); special law enforcement officers of all classes pursuant to P.L.1985, c.439 (C.40A:14-146.8 et seq.); humane law enforcement officers appointed pursuant to section 25 of P.L.2017, c.331 (C.4:22-14.1) or section 28 of P.L.2017, c.331 (C.4:22-14.4); transit police officers appointed by New Jersey Transit pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1989 c.291 (C.27:25-15.1); and campus police officers appointed pursuant to P.L.1970, c.211 (C.18A:6-4.2 et seq.). "Law enforcement unit" shall mean any State, county or municipal law enforcement agency, department, division, or instrumentality of such government that is statutorily empowered to act for the detection, investigation, arrest, conviction, detention, or rehabilitation of persons violating the criminal laws of the State, and shall include all agencies that employ law enforcement officers as defined in this section. "Licensing committee" means the committee established by the Police Training Commission to perform duties with respect to law enforcement officer licensing as set forth in subsection c. of section 9 of P.L.2022, c.65 (C.52:17B-71a). "Municipality" shall mean a city of any class, township, borough, village, or any other type of municipality in this State which, within its jurisdiction, has or shall have a law enforcement unit as defined in this act. "National Decertification Index" shall mean the national registry of law enforcement officer decertification or license revocations maintained by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training, or a successor database. "Permanent appointment" shall mean an appointment having permanent status as a law enforcement officer in a law enforcement unit as prescribed by Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes, Civil Service Commission Rules and Regulations, or of any other law of this State, municipal ordinance, or rules and regulations adopted thereunder. "Police training course" means a training course approved by the Police Training Commission and conducted at an approved school. "Probationary law enforcement license" means a license issued by the Police Training Commission to a person appointed by a law enforcement unit on a probationary or temporary basis which authorizes the person to perform the functions of a permanent law enforcement officer during the person's probationary or temporary appointment term. "Sustained finding" shall mean a determination by an employing law enforcement unit that a law enforcement officer violated a law; regulation; directive, guideline, policy, or procedure issued by the Attorney General or County Prosecutor; agency protocol; standing operating procedure; rule; or training. L.1961, c.56, s.2; amended 1971, c.321, s.1; 1985, c.491, s.1; 1988, c.176, s.2; 1995, c.280, s.54; 2019, c.219, s.8; 2022, c.65, s.2; 2025, c.35, s.61.