Bill Text: NJ S3506 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires Attorney General to establish training program for crowd management and provide resources to local law enforcement for large gatherings, flash mobs, or pop-up parties.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-26 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [S3506 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S3506-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator PAUL D. MORIARTY
District 4 (Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Requires Attorney General to establish training program for crowd management and provide resources to local law enforcement for large gatherings, flash mobs, or pop-up parties.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning crowd management during certain large gatherings and supplementing Title 52 of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. For purposes of this section:
"Flash mob" or "pop-up party" means a gathering of 50 or more persons, typically organized through social media or other electronic communication, that occurs without advance notice to the municipality or other local governmental unit and that impacts public safety.
"Large-scale gathering" means any public or private gathering with greater than 500 attendees.
b. The Attorney General, in consultation with the Superintendent of State Police, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, and the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, shall establish a training program for any municipal police department or force located within a municipality that, within the preceding twelve months, hosted two or more large-scale social gatherings or had a flash mob or pop-up party occur. The training program shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) general crowd management techniques;
(2) crowd management techniques applicable to juveniles;
(3) strategies for responding to social media activity related to large-scale gatherings;
(4) best practices for coordination and resource sharing with neighboring law enforcement agencies; and
(5) best practices for ensuring the safety of attendees, the public, and law enforcement during a flash mob or large-scale gathering.
c. The Attorney General shall make the following resources available to any local or municipal police department or force that has participated in the training program established pursuant to subsection b. of this section:
(1) access to social media monitoring tools;
(2) mobile command units that may be deployed during a large-scale gathering or, if practicable, during a flash mob or pop-up party; and
(3) additional personnel support from the New Jersey State Police, as needed.
The Attorney General shall establish a process for requesting immediate support during a flash mob or pop-up party.
d. Pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), the Attorney General may promulgate rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Attorney General to establish a crowd management training program and provide resources to local law enforcement under certain circumstances.
Under the bill, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Superintendent of State Police, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, and the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, is required to establish a training program for any local or municipal police department or force located within a municipality that, within the preceding twelve months, hosted two or more large-scale social gatherings or had a flash mob or pop-up party occur.
The bill defines a "flash mob" or "pop-up party" as a gathering of 50 or more persons, typically organized through social media or other electronic communication, that occurs without advance notice to the municipality or other local governmental unit and impacts public safety. "Large-scale gathering" is defined as any public or private gathering with greater than 500 attendees.
The training program is required to include, but should not be limited to:
(1) general crowd management techniques;
(2) crowd management techniques applicable to juveniles;
(3) strategies for responding to social media activity related to large-scale gatherings;
(4) best practices for coordination and resource sharing with neighboring law enforcement agencies; and
(5) best practices for ensuring the safety of attendees, the public, and law enforcement during a flash mob or large-scale gathering.
In addition, the bill requires the Attorney General to make the following resources available to any local or municipal police department or force that has participated in the training program established pursuant to the provisions of this bill:
(1) access to social media monitoring tools;
(2) mobile command units that may be deployed during a large-scale gathering or, if practicable, during a flash mob; and
(3) additional personnel support from the New Jersey State Police, as needed.
Under the bill, the Attorney General is required to establish a process for requesting immediate support during a flash mob or pop-up party.
