More Training For Bridgewater Police Under New Initiative

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — In the next year, Bridgewater Police Department staff will get training on use of force, bias in policing, domestic violence, and other topics, the township said.

Mayor Matthew Moench said the Bridgewater Township Police Enhanced Training Initiative is a "long-term, everlong investment" for the township in a news release.

The Township Council passed a resolution in support of the initiative on Thursday night. Moench and township administration supported the resolution, the news release said.

All officers must complete 15 training modules in the first year, the township said. Components of the training include: domestic violence, bias in policing, use of force, detainee transportation, leadership, temporary detention, and vehicular pursuit.

“Bridgewater has very specific requirements, and rather than rush into something that might not ultimately be able to meet them, we wanted to ensure that we contracted with an organization that is both exceptionally well-reputed and able to provide exactly what is required for Bridgewater,” Moench said in the news release. “This Enhanced Training Initiative will be a long-term, evolving investment for Bridgewater Township. We knew that we wanted to go above and beyond what is required of us, and that is exactly what we are doing here.”

Training begins this month and will conclude in July 2023, when another annual training cycle can begin.

A township Police Training Officer will monitor the trainings, the township said.

"Training modules are tailored specifically to each individual agency; for instance, if an agency has a particularly uncommon piece of equipment, the training will incorporate that equipment," the township said. "Similarly, the training is constantly being revised both to the newest legal standards and to maintain relevance to the rapidly changing cultural conditions of our society. "

The Rodgers Group will facilitate the trainings, the township said; Lexipol recently acquired the Rodgers Group. Both "are nationally-recognized public safety risk management and education firms with extensive experience developing and delivering training for law enforcement agencies across the United States," the township said.

President Frank Rodgers said the training modules "are for agencies that want to go far above and beyond what is required of them," adding that Bridgewater officers already receive "a great deal of training."

"The BPD has their training. The Somerset County Prosecutor mandates and conducts training for all officers in Somerset County. The New Jersey Attorney General requires additional training," Rodgers said. "Even beyond those, there’s the additional training required for a Department to be accredited by the New Jersey Law Enforcement Accreditation Program—which Bridgewater is and has been for years. On top of all this are the modules we’ll be introducing this year.”

After completing the training program, Rodgers said, members of the department will be eligible to receive three college credits from Farleigh Dickinson University.

In 2020, the New Jersey Police Training Commission (PTC), which establishes statewide law enforcement standards, voted unanimously to create a statewide police licensing program. Read more: NJ Police To Get Licensed, Overhauled Training Programs

A bill that aims to license law enforcement officers in New Jersey passed through both legislative houses earlier this summer with overwhelming support. Read more: NJ Police Licensing Program Awaiting Murphy's Signature