Retired Cops In NJ Could Soon Patrol Schools
By David Madden
TRENTON, N.J., (CBS) -- There's a push in the New Jersey legislature to establish a new class of police officer in the Garden State to better protect schools. They'd technically be known as "class three" cops with powers confined to the school districts that bring them on.
Morris County State Senator Anthony Bucco has been working on this plan for three years."This will allow a police officer retiring under the age of 65 to be able to do security duty in a school," Bucco told KYW Newsradio.
They would have to keep up their firearms certification and provide their own weapon. They would not be eligible for the same benefits given to regular cops, saying money for the districts that hire them.
"Now you're not utilizing a full time police officer," Bucco said. "You're using someone that's been trained as a police officer, a retired police officer who just doesn't want to sit on the couch and watch television."
Bucco says he's worked with schools, police and prosecutors to get this measure to the point where he's confident it will get through in the new two year legislative session that starts later this week.