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Committee releases bill to regularize promotions tied to a challenged 2019 sergeant exam
Summary
S4007/A4543 would deem promotions from the February 2019 sergeant exam regular appointments for Newark and Patterson officers after litigation challenged the exam; the Fraternal Order of Police and Newark Police witnesses said the bill would 'cure' consequences of civil service adjustments that removed questions from scoring.
The committee released S4007 and Assembly bill A4543, measures intended to make certain promotions following the February 2019 police sergeant exam regular appointments for officers in Newark and Patterson.
Scott Cox of the New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police testified that officers who took and passed the promotional exam were promoted and later faced civil service action that invalidated portions of the scoring. “Imagine going through the rigors of the course, taking a promotional test... and then 7 years later the civil service coming down and saying that test didn’t count,” he said, arguing that reversing promotions would be unjust.
A Newark police representative said litigation resulted in the civil service commission removing questions from the 2019 exam and the court directing that the results be disregarded for Newark and Patterson; the bill would codify the promotions and allow departments and affected officers to move forward.
Committee members asked why legislation is necessary rather than a civil service remedy; witnesses said the legislation would ‘cure’ the consequences of the litigation and avoid re-testing and personnel upheaval.
The committee released the bills to the floor as amended.
