N.J. Admin. Code § 13:1-8.1

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024

Section 13:1-8.1 - Certification required prior to acceptance of trainees into a basic course

(a) Prior to the acceptance of a trainee into a basic course, the chief law enforcement officer or chief executive officer of the employing law enforcement unit shall certify by completing a trainee record card issued by the Commission that:

1. With respect to police officers as defined by this chapter, the appointing authority has complied with the provisions of 52:17B-68.1 and 69 and 18A:6-4.4 including, but not limited to, the following:

i. The individual has received a probationary appointment; and

ii. The individual has been granted a leave of absence with pay during the period of the police training course;

2. With respect to special law enforcement officers, the local unit has complied with the provisions of 40A:14-146.8 et seq. concerning the appointment of the individual;

3. The employing law enforcement agency has fingerprinted the individual and sent copies of the fingerprints to the Division of State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in order to ascertain whether the individual has been convicted of an offense which would disqualify him or her from appointment as a police officer. The results obtained from the Division of State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall be made known to the appointing authority;

4. The employing law enforcement agency has conducted a pre-employment or background investigation of the individual to ascertain his or her character, fitness and eligibility to be permanently appointed as a police officer. The results of the pre-employment or background investigation shall be made known to the appointing authority; and

5. The individual has undergone a medical examination by a licensed physician to determine if the individual is medically fit to undergo training. The physician shall state, on a form prescribed by the Commission, whether the individual is medically fit to undergo the training for which the individual is enrolled.

(b) A potential trainee shall not be admitted into the following basic courses, unless the potential trainee has successfully completed both the pre-academy fitness requirement and the pre-academy psychological requirement prior to the orientation day for the course to which the potential trainee seeks admission:

1. Basic Course for Police Officers (including Alternate Route);

2. Basic Course for Special Law Enforcement Officers (Class II);

3. Basic Course for State Correctional Police Officers;

4. Basic Course for County Correctional Police Officers;

5. Basic Course for Investigators;

6. Basic Course for Juvenile Corrections Officers; and

7. Basic Course for Humane Law Enforcement Officers.

(c) Neither the pre-academy fitness requirement nor the pre-academy psychological requirement may be waived.

(d) The administration of pre-academy fitness requirement is, as follows:

1. In order to participate in the pre-academy fitness requirement, a potential trainee must present proof of medical clearance certified by a licensed physician no earlier than 30 days prior to the date of the test, on a form issued by the Police Training Commission (PTC).

2. The site and timing of the pre-academy fitness requirement shall be determined by the academy director with approval from the PTC staff.

3. An instructor designated by the academy director will conduct the pre-academy fitness requirement up to 12 weeks prior to the commencement of the course to which the potential trainee seeks admission, but no less than three weeks prior to the commencement of the course. A potential trainee must pass the pre-academy fitness requirement prior to the commencement of any class in which the trainee seeks admission.

4. A trainee must successfully complete all five components of the pre-academy fitness requirement, as follows:

i. A vertical jump of 15 inches or more;

ii. 28 sit-ups in one minute or less;

iii. A 300-meter run in 70.1 seconds or less;

iv. 24 push-ups in one minute or less; and

v. A 1.5-mile run in 15 minutes and 55 seconds or less.

5. There shall be a rest in between each component of the pre-academy fitness requirement that shall be no less than those mandated by Directive 4-2016.

6. The pre-academy fitness requirement shall be conducted, in accordance with the PTC Physical Conditioning Directive.

7. All pre-academy fitness requirement tests shall be conducted within one continuous eight-hour period.

8. All running events in the pre-academy fitness requirement shall be conducted on a level running track or roadway previously approved by the PTC staff.

9. All remaining events shall take place on a level surface previously approved by the PTC staff.

10. During both the sit-up and push-up components of the pre-academy physical requirement, the designated instructor shall verbally notify the trainee of each successful repetition completed (that is, "one complete, two complete, three complete").

11. A potential trainee is required to successfully complete all five components of the pre-academy fitness requirement before each course to which the potential trainee seeks admission.

12. Retesting shall be, as follows:

i. Academy directors shall schedule a retest date for trainees who fail the initial pre-academy fitness requirement. The retest should be scheduled, when practicable, at least three weeks after the trainee's initial pre-academy test, but in any event, must be completed the day before the trainee begins their course. The trainee is allowed one opportunity to retest before the start of the academy. All trainees who fail the initial pre-academy fitness requirement must be retested before the start of the course to which they seek admission.

ii. Potential trainees must take and pass the entire test on the alternate test date. Previous passing results from any component shall not be counted toward any retest.

(e) Pre-academy psychological requirements, are as follows:

1. The pre-academy psychological requirement shall include a psychological examination by a licensed psychologist to determine whether the potential trainee is psychologically fit to perform the duties of the title that the potential trainee has been appointed.

2. The psychological examination shall include:

i. A written personality examination, such as NEO-PI-R, the Inwald Personality Inventory, or such other functionally equivalent examination; and

ii. A psychological evaluation conducted by a licensed psychologist no more than 12 months prior to orientation day for the class that the potential trainee seeks admission.

3. The licensed psychologist shall state, on a form prescribed by the PTC, whether the individual is psychologically fit to effectively perform the duties of the title that the individual has been appointed.

4. Only those individuals found to be psychologically fit to effectively perform the duties of the title that they have been appointed to may be admitted to any of the courses listed at (b) above.

5. The employer must provide certification of psychological fitness to the academy director prior to the orientation day for the course that the potential trainee seeks admission on a form prescribed by the PTC.

(f) Appeals by potential trainees shall be, as follows:

1. A potential trainee may appeal a designated instructor's determination that the potential trainee has failed one or more components of the pre-academy fitness requirement.

2. An appeal pursuant to this subsection will be sent to the PTC, and state, with particularity, the factual basis for the potential trainee's appeal.

(g) For each potential trainee, prior to admission to any academy for any course listed at (b) above, the academy director must complete and submit to PTC staff, a package that includes the following:

1. A PTC-prescribed form that includes the following information:

i. Certification that the potential trainee has successfully met, or exceeded, the minimum score requirements of all five components of the pre-academy fitness requirement;

ii. The potential trainee's score for each of the five components of the pre-academy fitness requirement; and

iii. Certification that the potential trainee has successfully passed the pre-academy psychological requirement as set forth at (e) above;

2. A certification by a licensed physician that the potential recruit is medically cleared to participate in the course that the potential recruit seeks admission; and

3. A certification by a licensed psychologist that the potential recruit is psychologically fit to effectively perform the duties of the title that the potential recruit has been appointed.

(h) The academy director shall submit the package as set forth at (g) above to the PTC staff no later than 15 working days after the commencement of the course that the trainee is enrolled in.

(i) Academy directors are expressly forbidden from allowing any trainee who has not successfully met, or exceeded, the minimum score of each component of the pre-academy fitness requirement and who has not also successfully passed the pre-academy psychological requirement and provided a certification by a licensed physician that the recruit is medically cleared to participate in the course, to participate in any course listed at (b) above. Failure to comply with the provisions of this subsection may, in the discretion of the PTC, result in suspension or revocation of the academy's credentials, as determined on a case-by-case basis.

(j) In addition to the required certifications listed at (a) above, the chief law enforcement officer or chief executive officer must certify on a form provided by the Commission, that the applicant completed pre-employment drug testing and received negative results from the New Jersey State Toxicology Laboratory in accordance with the Attorney General's Law Enforcement Drug Testing Policy. The Commission certification form and the lab results are to be provided to the academy, along with the trainee record card before the trainee can be accepted into a basic course.

N.J. Admin. Code § 13:1-8.1

Amended by R.1998 d.330, effective 7/6/1998.
See: 30 N.J.R. 1182(a), 30 N.J.R. 2506(a).
Rewrote the section.
Administrative change.
See: 31 N.J.R. 880(a).
Amended by R.2004 d.4, effective 1/5/2004.
See: 35 N.J.R. 2806(a), 36 N.J.R. 197(a).
In (a), deleted 6.

Amended by 55 N.J.R. 602(b), effective 4/3/2023

Amended by 55 N.J.R. 1932(b), effective 9/5/2023