NJ Police Sergeant flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Garrity Rule

Statements compelled from an officer under threat of termination cannot be used against that officer in a criminal prosecution, though they may support internal discipline.

Major Discipline

Under the New Jersey Internal Affairs Policy and Procedures, major discipline means termination, demotion, or a suspension of more than five days.

Weingarten Right

A union-represented employee may request union representation during an investigatory interview when the employee reasonably believes discipline may result from the interview.

Span of Control

The number of subordinates reporting directly to one supervisor; in patrol it is commonly kept between six and eight officers per sergeant.

Early Warning System

An IAPP-required data system that flags officers with patterns of complaints, force incidents, or discipline so supervisors can intervene early.

Reasonable Suspicion

Specific and articulable facts, plus rational inferences, that would lead a reasonable officer to believe criminal activity is afoot; supports an investigative stop.

Probable Cause

Facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable officer to believe an offense has been committed and that the person to be arrested committed it.

Terry Frisk

A pat-down of outer clothing permitted when reasonable suspicion exists that a person lawfully stopped is armed and dangerous; scope is limited to weapons.

Criminal Justice Reform Act

New Jersey's bail reform law uses a pretrial risk assessment to recommend release or detention, and prosecutors must move for detention.

Statute of Limitations NJ

Under N.J.S.A. 2C:1-6, prosecution must begin within five years for most crimes and one year for disorderly persons offenses; murder has no limit.

Pursuit Initiation Standard

NJ policy permits pursuit only when the officer has reasonable suspicion of an indictable crime or believes the driver poses an imminent threat to public safety.

Use of Force Report

A mandatory written report for any force used, firearm pointed at a person, or injury; the supervisor reviews and investigates before the tour ends.

Sobriety Checkpoint Validity

NJ requires checkpoints to follow written guidelines, use neutral selection criteria, receive advance publicity, and operate under direct supervisory control.

Body-Worn Camera Activation

NJ directive requires officers to activate the camera before initiating law enforcement activity and to record continuously until the encounter concludes.

Attorney General Directive

A binding statewide policy issued by the New Jersey Attorney General that governs all state, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies and officers.

Anonymous Complaint Rule

NJ internal affairs policy requires anonymous complaints to be investigated, but discipline may not be imposed based solely on an anonymous complaint.

Bias Incident Reporting

NJ requires agencies to report suspected bias incidents to the county prosecutor's office even when the conduct is not itself a criminal offense.

Written Directive System

The method agencies use to issue, distribute, track, acknowledge, and periodically review orders so all personnel hold current policy.

Brady Material

Exculpatory evidence held by the government that must be disclosed to the defense; officers must report such information to the prosecutor.

Chain of Custody

The documented, unbroken record of who handled evidence, when, and where, from seizure through analysis and production in court.

Case Clearance

A case is cleared by arrest when a suspect is arrested and charged, or exceptionally cleared when the offender is identified but cannot be prosecuted.

Showup Identification

A one-on-one identification conducted near the time and place of the crime; permitted only with probable cause and reasonable promptness.

OPRA Response Deadline

Under the Open Public Records Act, the custodian of records must respond to a records request within seven business days.

CJIS Misuse

Accessing criminal justice information for non-law-enforcement purposes is prohibited and can result in prosecution, termination, and loss of terminal access.

Objective Report Writing

Reports record observable facts, actions, and verbatim statements in chronological order, without opinions, conclusions, or legal characterizations.

Procedural Justice

The four elements are voice, neutrality, respectful treatment, and trustworthy motives; together they predict public perceptions of police legitimacy.

SARA Model

A problem-oriented policing cycle of Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment used to address recurring crime and disorder problems.

Bias Intimidation

A N.J.S.A. 2C:16-1 offense requiring the defendant to commit an underlying offense with a purpose to intimidate based on a protected characteristic.

Kirkpatrick Model

A four-level training evaluation model measuring trainee reaction, learning, on-the-job behavior change, and organizational results.

Standardized Evaluation Guidelines

Field training benchmarks describing expected performance at each rating level of the Daily Observation Report used to evaluate probationary officers.

FLSA 7(k) Exemption

Allows law enforcement agencies to use a 28-day work period of 171 hours, or a 14-day period of 86 hours, before overtime accrues.

Capital vs Operating Budget

The operating budget covers recurring costs such as salaries, fuel, and supplies; the capital budget covers long-lived assets such as vehicles and buildings.