“I believe it makes our jobs as police officers much more difficult.,” Newton Police Chief Robert Osborn said. “Most concerning though is the fact that if you find a juvenile with alcohol or marijuana, it does not allow our agency to legally tell the parent of this initial contact.”
Another feature of the new law is the spotlight shone on penalties for police if civil rights are violated. Something police have “always known to be aware of,” according to Sparta Police Chief Neil Spidaletto.
“I am concerned with the environment that it may promote,” Osborn said. “These current restrictions in place run contrary to the policies and procedures of New Jersey police departments and I’m not certain that if people knew of all of these provisions within the law, that they would have voted to legalize it.”
Osborn is concerned about the stipulation against parental notification as well as the changes to probable cause and restrictions to officers’ ability to initiate an investigation, especially with juveniles.
Another feature of the new law is the spotlight shone on penalties for police if civil rights are violated. Something police have “always known to be aware of,” according to Sparta Police Chief Neil Spidaletto.
Officers that ask to search, notify a parent or investigate the smell or sight of marijuana or alcohol can be “criminally charged with depriving their civil rights.”
“This may impact and hinder an officer’s ability to properly do their job and ensure public safety,” Osborn said.