New Jersey Transit Police Department

New Jersey Transit Police Department
Common name	New Jersey Transit Police
Abbreviation	NJTPD
Patch of the New Jersey Transit Police Department.
Agency overview
Formed	1983
Employees	287
Legal personality	Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction*	U.S. states of New Jersey and New York, USA
Legal jurisdiction	New Jersey and New York
General nature	Law enforcement Civilian police
Specialist jurisdiction	Commuter transit systems and immediate environs, rail, tram, ferry, bus, etc.
Operational structure
Headquarters	Newark, New Jersey
Police Officers	220
Non Sworn Employees	67
Agency executive	Christopher Trucillo
Parent agency	New Jersey Transit
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

Penn Station

The New Jersey Transit Police Department (NJTPD) is a transit police force for the New Jersey Transit Corporation in the state of New Jersey. It is a general-powers police agency with state wide jurisdiction with the primary focus on policing the numerous bus depots, rail and light-rail stations throughout New Jersey.

Primary mission

The primary mission of the New Jersey Transit Police Department is to ensure a safe and orderly environment within the transit system, promoting the confidence of the riding public and enhancing the maximum use of the transit system. Their fundamental duty is to safeguard lives and property; protect against deception, intimidation and violence, counter-terrorism;^[1] and to uphold, without prejudice, the constitutional rights of all people.

History

The New Jersey Transit Police Department is the only transit policing agency in the country with statewide authority and jurisdiction. The department was created on January 1, 1983, and it evolved as a result of the passage of the Public Transportation Act of 1979 and subsequent legislation on the state and federal levels. At that time, the original complement included thirty-nine Commissioned Rail Police Officers. On January 12, 1990, NJSA 27:25-15.1 was enacted into law, and it established the New Jersey Transit Police Department as a sworn law enforcement agency with the "general authority, without limitation, to exercise police powers and duties, as provided for police officers and law enforcement officers, in all criminal and traffic matters at all times throughout the State..." The authorized strength of the Department includes 260 sworn officers and 67 non-sworn members (which include Fare Enforcement Inspectors) serving the more than 500,000 commuters who use the NJ Transit system daily. In addition, the New Jersey Transit Police is responsible for policing the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and the RiverLINE.

Command regions

The New Jersey Transit Police Department has its headquarters in One Penn Plaza East, Newark, New Jersey. However, the department has many different commands located over the entire state to provide coverage to New Jersey Transit's extensive system of railways and bus terminals.

North Region 1:

• Penn Station Command - Newark

North Region 2:

• Hoboken Command - Hoboken
• Secaucus Junction - Secaucus

South Region 1:

• Atlantic City Command - Atlantic City
• Camden Command - Camden
• Trenton Command - Trenton

Organization and operations

Each of the regional commands provide different police services for their geographical area they cover, the different divisions within the department can be categorized as the following,

• Patrol - By far the largest operation within the department. The patrol division provides general law enforcement services to those utilizing the New Jersey Transit System as well as providing a presence to deter crime.
• Detective Bureau - Investigates threats directed towards the transit system and crimes committed on transit property.
• Special Operations - Encompasses different units such as the Emergency Services Unit, and the K-9 unit.
• Emergency Services Unit - This unit was formally called the JUSTICE Team (renamed in 2011), which was NJTPD's high visibility enforcement unit who was assigned to "Impact" zones which are New Jersey Transit properties and stations which have experienced a surge in crime. This ESU unit has extensive training in numerous fields such as, SWAT to include high risk warrant service, barricaded subject, and hostage rescue, rope/high angle rescue, train/vehicle extrication, firefighting duties, and are all hazmat technicians.
• Administration / Support Services - The higher ranking officers who are responsible for reporting the daily operations to the New Jersey Transit Corporation itself, as well as the responsibility for overseeing the day to day functions of the department. Includes the Training Unit.

Rank structure

The NJTPD has the following rank structure, in descending order:

Title	Insignia	Uniform Shirt Color
Chief		White
Deputy Chief		White
Captain		White
Lieutenant		French Blue
Sergeant		French Blue
Detective Police Officer		French Blue

Counter-Terrorism

A New Jersey Transit Police K-9 officer and his dog.

One of the primary missions of the New Jersey Transit Police Department is the prevention of terrorism on all of New Jersey Transit's trains and buses. This is especially relevant since the 2004 terrorist attacks of the transit system in Madrid, Spain.

After September 11, 2001, the Essex County Sheriff's Bomb Squad had a tenfold increase in requests for bomb detection. This caused a problem for New Jersey Transit, according to the agency’s then police chief, Mary F. Rabadeau. At Penn Station in Newark, the transit authority had been dependent on the Essex County Sheriff's bomb squad to respond to every bomb threat or suspicious parcel. That disrupted the station, sometimes for hours, having an immense impact on transportation in the area, because the station is host to hundreds of daily Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains, plus two rapid transit lines and intercity and local buses. The best resource the agency could provide with the most apparent and immediate impact was canine bomb-detection teams. After interviewing people at other agencies that had their own canine bomb-detection squads, New Jersey Transit chose the Essex County Sheriff's Office^[2] to train the transit police on New Jersey Transit property—on trains and buses and in stations and other facilities where the teams would be working. The program was fairly inexpensive, using dogs that had washed out of seeing-eye training but were calm and obedient—fine for bomb detection. New Jersey Transit customized three road vehicles so that the teams could operate statewide, presenting themselves without notice. By patrolling Penn Station, the teams have "hardened it as a target and are welcomed by passengers, said Rabadeau". Because a large percentage of bomb alerts turn out to be false, the fast response minimizes disruption to the flow of trains and passengers. The teams also give demonstrations at schools and terminals and provide assistance to other agencies.^[3]

During his tenure, former Governor James McGreevy helped dramatically expand the counter-terrorism capabilities of the New Jersey Transit Police. The governor allowed the purchase of a Police Mobile Command Vehicle, which is a 40-foot (12 m) transit bus converted into a mobile response unit for the New Jersey Transit Police Department. The vehicle contains outside phone lines, a fax machine, portable computers and printers, and an on-board radio system with several frequency bands to communicate with other law enforcement agencies, as well as other regional transit agencies. The following measures were also enacted,^[4]

• New Jersey Transit has increased uniformed and plain clothes police train patrols

• New Jersey Transit has created special operations units which specifically focus on high visiblity patrol and counter terrorism

• New Jersey Transit significantly increased the number of New Jersey Transit Police K-9 units – which are trained to detect explosive devices.^[5]

• New Jersey Transit purchased belt clip-on radiation detectors as well as other explosive and radiological material detecting equipment to ensure that all of its regional police commands and officers throughout the state are equipped to detect explosives and radiological matter.

• The New Jersey Transit Police Department lauched the "If you see something say something" campaign and has activated telephone and text message hotlines to accept anonymous calls and text messages of suspicious activity and/or persons on New Jersey Transit equipment or property.

• The New Jersey Transit Police Department provides counter terrorism and behavioral analysis training to all its officers.

• Significantly increased the number of its uniformed and plainclothes police officers at stations, on board trains and in road patrol units. Officers ride trains randomly at any given time during the day. New Jersey Transit Police are protecting passenger facilities, maintenance facilities and infrastructure.

• The New Jersey Transit Police Department has established vehicular checkpoints at several stations and terminals, particularly where deliveries are accepted.

• New Jersey Transit Police are alternating patrolling methods and locations on a daily basis to include uniform and plain clothes officers, facility checks conducted by officers on motor patrol and proactive sweeps by special operations units .^[6]

Criticism and issues

The New Jersey Transit Police Department is not without its fair share of problems and criticism. In 2002, a study released by the former New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton has concluded that New Jersey Transit's police force is not prepared to handle a terrorist attack. The report said the agency's then 120-member police force lacks the training to protect the 400,000 daily bus and rail commuters. The report, which was completed in the fall of 2001, recommends that the agency should create divisions to monitor troubled train stations and to crack down on fare-beating.^[7] The direct response to this was the creation of the Justice Team and an extensive hiring blitz to bring new police officers onto the department. Since the study, the department has considerably added onto its counter-terrorism capability with the creation of many new units and the issuance of better technology to its patrol officers. Each transit police officer is issued a Dosimeter which can be used to measure radiation.^[6]

Uniform and equipment

A New Jersey Transit Police car.

The New Jersey Transit Police Department's "Class A" uniforms share a minor resemblance to the uniforms of the New Jersey State Police. However, NJ Transit Police Officers wear a badge on the left side of their chest.

Officers in Special Operations wear a B.D.U. uniform. During special events and training, other members of the department wear B.D.U.'s as well.

As for equipment, the standard sidearm for the department is the SIG P229 chambered in .40 S&W. Transit also utilizes the Remington 870 Police Magnum shotgun, as well as M4 Commando Rifles and Remington 700 Sniper rifles for the Emergency Services Unit officers.^[8]

Transportation

A New Jersey Transit Police SUV.

The New Jersey Transit Police Department utilizes many different vehicles in its fleet. Among the used vehicles are Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors, Ford Explorers, Dodge Durangos, Chevrolet Tahoes and Chevrolet Suburbans. Transit police officers also ride the buses and railways to provide more direct policing. In addition, the NJTPD has several minibuses outfitted as mobile command centers at strategic locations. The agency recently received in 2011, a Pierce Hybrid Rescue/Pumper truck which is capable of going off road and onto the rails where needed.^{[9][10][11][12]}

See also

	Law enforcement/Law enforcement topics portal
	New Jersey portal

• Amtrak Police Department
• List of law enforcement agencies in New Jersey
• New Jersey Transit
• New York City Transit Police
• New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department
• Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Police Department
• Transit police

References

1. ^ Homelandsecurity.org, July 2002, Accessed August 29, 2007.
2. ^ Essex County Sheriffs Office
3. ^ Homelandsecurity.org, July 2002, Accessed August 29, 2007.
4. ^ New Jersey State Legislature, March 2003, Accessed August 29, 2007.
5. ^ NJTPD K9 Unit Patch
6. ^ ^{a b} New Jersey State Legislature, March 2003, Accessed August 29, 2007.
7. ^ Briefing: Transportation; Transit Police and Terrorism New York Times, March 10, 2002:, Accessed August 29, 2007.
8. ^ NJSP officer with M4 Carbine Rifle
9. ^ NJTPD Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
10. ^ NJTPD Dodge Durango
11. ^ NJTPD Minibus
12. ^ NJTPD Minibus

External links

• * New Jersey Transit website