TRENTON
- The seventh report of the independent
monitors appointed by the federal court
to audit compliance with the Consent Decree
highlights continued "important progress"
by the State Police during the latest
six-month reporting period, which ended
September 30, Attorney General David Samson
announced today. The monitors noted that
their "intensive reviews" of
294 traffic stops, including videotapes
of each stop, revealed no deliberate violations
of the Consent Decree and no indication
that any trooper acted based on a consideration
of race or ethnicity.
The
independent monitors, Dr. James Ginger
and Albert Rivas, Esq., praised the State
Police for "continued strong performance
in investigation and resolution of citizens'
complaints," noting that the Office
of Professional Standards completed 472
internal affairs investigations this reporting
period, conducting investigations of "strong
quality" and reducing by 276 a large
backlog of cases inherited by this Administration.
The backlog was reduced by 225 in the
last reporting period, which ended in
May. Of the 196 new investigations opened,
191 were completed within 120 days.
"The
Division of State Police continues to
advance toward full compliance with the
Consent Decree through reforms such as
enhanced training and closer road supervision,"
said Attorney General Samson. "The
independent monitors, who look at every
facet of trooper performance, noted substantial
progress on a number of important fronts.
The New Jersey State Police remains one
of the finest police forces in this country.
These reforms will help the force to ensure
that every trooper continues to meet its
high standards."
The
report states, "During this reporting
period, as in past reports, none of the
law enforcement actions monitored by the
monitoring team included any indication
that the law enforcement actions engaged
in were undertaken based on a consideration
of race or ethnicity."
"From
the outset, we have pledged to eradicate
racial profiling," Samson said. "It
is gratifying to learn that the monitors
have confirmed our own observations."
The
monitors highlighted major strides in
the development of MAPPS, a cutting-edge
computer system designed to allow comprehensive,
automated monitoring of trooper conduct.
The monitors said, "The State has
made more progress with MAPPS in the past
six months than the monitors have seen
in the previous two years." The monitors
reviewed a test-version of MAPPS that
was brought to two road stations this
fall and found it to "comport with
the requirements of the Consent Decree
regarding field stops and activities reporting."
The monitors estimated that MAPPS will
be ready within a year to be used Division-wide
as a supervisory and management tool,
a step they characterized as critical
to reaching full compliance with the Consent
Decree.
The
monitors reported that during this reporting
period, the State Police "made important
progress in developing supervisory systems
designed to improve trooper performance
on the road." As in the last report,
they noted the tangible impact of the
creation of the new position of "road
sergeant" and the fact that supervisors
now review video recordings of all stops
that involve consent searches, use of
force or canine deployments. The monitors
noted that the quality of supervisory
reviews had improved and supervisors "have
begun to note and correct problematic
trooper behavior at a greater rate than
in the past."
The
monitors praised the Office of State Police
Affairs (OSPA), the agency created within
the Department of Law and Public Safety
to oversee compliance with the Consent
Decree, as a strong and consistent "partner
in reform." The monitors noted that
OSPA had augmented its legal staff, providing
attorneys on a rotating basis to the Office
of Professional Standards and designating
an attorney for each State Police troop
to provide legal advice and Consent Decree
guidance. The monitors also highlighted
that OSPA has created teams of State Police
officers to conduct audits and documentation
reviews at each State Police road station.
The monitors said the teams "serve
both as a quality control mechanism and
as a mentoring presence for State Police
supervisors regarding supervisory review
of on-road activities."
While
the monitors said there are continued
issues with understaffing at the State
Police training academy, they stated that
"the quality of training has improved."
They linked the improvements to the fact
that the academy has begun to implement
a training development process recommended
by the monitors. The report states, "The
monitors estimate that the academy is
eight to 12 months from being effectively
staffed with well-trained personnel organized
to meet adequately the training demands
placed on the organization by the Consent
Decree." The State is three years
into a five-year, two-phase monitoring
process. The monitors reported that the
State's Phase I compliance exceeds 95
percent, while its Phase II compliance
is at 70 percent.
"We
know that we still have work to do,"
said Thomas V. Manahan, Director of the
Office of State Police Affairs. "But
this report reflects that there has been
continued strong progress toward our goal
of full compliance with the Consent Decree."
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