Dear Mayor:

Earlier today, the New Jersey Advisory Committee on Police Standards presented its final report to the Governor and the Attorney General. The Committee was created by Governor Corzine’s Executive Order #29 to study State Police efforts to end racial profiling and to consider the possible extension of State Police procedures to local law enforcement. You can access the report at http://www.nj.gov/governor/.

You may recall that, earlier this year, we advised you that the Committee wanted to hear your perspective on the issue, and so we informed you of its public hearing and telephone conference schedule. We also provided the Committee’s mailing address for your use. The Committee commented on the League’s efforts to involve its members and thanked local officials for their input.

We commend the New Jersey Advisory Committee on Police Standards for an open process that encouraged local elected officials to share their insights and concerns, and for its thoughtful recommendations. We share the Governor’s concern with any inequitable enforcement of the law. And we welcome the advice and assistance of the Attorney General in making it possible to implement the Committee’s recommended ‘best practices’ to preclude racial profiling.

While it may, at the present time, be difficult for the State to dedicate the resources needed to equip every patrol car in New Jersey with Mobile Video Recorders (MVR’s) to create a record of all traffic stops, as the Committee recommends, we hope that in its next budget New Jersey can begin to move in that direction. Similarly, the recommended supervisory review of the recordings, the data collection and review procedures through the use of Computer Assisted Data (CAD) systems and the training needed by all involved will have to be adequately funded through the State budget.

We will offer to help the Governor and the Attorney General in the development of specific policies to end racial profiling in the manner most advantageous to all of our citizens and property taxpayers.

                                                                        Very truly yours,

                                                                        William G. Dressel, Jr.
                                                                        Executive Director