State of New Jersey | Department of Law & Public Safety

Matthew J. Platkin, Attorney General

Police Training Commission

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Alternate Route

Alternate Route

Alternate Route Final Certification:

Early in March 2015, law enforcement agencies were asked by the county prosecutors to check personnel and training records to verify that individuals who attended the Basic Course for Police Officers as Alternate Route (A/R) trainees did in fact complete agency training subsequent to appointment, and thereafter received final PTC certification as evidenced by a PTC certificate.

If a PTC certificate cannot be located in the agency files, the agency CEO should ask the employee and/or the police academy where the employee was trained for a copy of the certificate.

If the PTC certificate cannot be located by the agency, the academy, or the individual officer, and final A/R certification is questionable, the agency CEO may contact PTC staff via email at ptc@njdcj.org to request a record search. Such requests must include the officer’s name, last four digits of the officer’s social security number, and the name of the police academy where the officer completed A/R training. Please note that a record search is limited to A/R final certification only. PTC staff cannot provide a certification record search, and/or duplicate certificates for all officers employed by the agency.

Requests for extensions of Alternate Route certification eligibility will only be considered by the commissioners if received in the PTC staff office before June 1, 2015. If an extension is approved, any supplemental training required by the commissioners must be completed within one year from the date the extension was approved.

After June 1, 2015, extensions of Alternate Route certification eligibility will not be granted in situations where employers previously failed to complete and submit the required paperwork in a timely manner. Alternate Route trainees who did not complete agency training and finalize BCPO certification within three years after successfully completing the academy portion of the training must be retrained, and will be required to complete the entire BCPO.

The Alternate Route Program for the Basic Course for Police Officers (BCPO), which was suspended for 2011 and 2012, will resume with courses that begin after January 1, 2013. Please be advised that an individual who successfully completes the academy portion of the Alternate Route program does not receive PTC certification in the BCPO unless and until the individual receives appointment as a regular, full time police officer within three years of completing the academy training, and then completes the agency training performance objectives as certified by the law enforcement executive, and verified by the school director. Refer to Section “C” below.

A. –
Enrollment

  • There are currently 11 commission-approved schools authorized to conduct the Alternate Route Basic Course for Police Officer program. Please contact these academies directly for enrollment information.

  • Atlantic County Police Training Center
  • Bergen County Law & Public Safety Institute Police, Fire & EMS Academies
  • Camden County College Police Academy
  • Cape May County Police Academy   
  • Essex County College Public Safety Academy
  • Gloucester County Police Academy
  • Mercer County Police Academy
  • Monmouth County Police Academy
  • Morris County Public Safety Training Academy
  • Passaic County Police Academy
  • John H. Stamler Police Academy (Union County)

B. –
Hiring an Alternate Route Basic Course for Police Officer Recruit

  • Please be advised that as of December 23, 1998 pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:17B-69.2 Eligibility for appointment.

    A person who completes a police training course pursuant to section 2 of P.L. 1998, c. 146 (c. 52:17B-69-1) shall only be eligible for appointment as a permanent full-time member of a police department or force. (L. 1998, c. 146, § 2.)

C. –
Processing the Police Training Commission Certificate

  • To obtain the Police Training Commission certificate for an individual who (1) successfully completed the Alternate Route Basic Course for Police Officers academy training, (2) was subsequently appointed as a regular full time police officer, and (3) successfully completed agency training and firearms qualification administered by the employing agency, the employer must provide documentation of appointment and agency training/firearms qualification to the director of the school where the individual completed academy training. The director will verify the agency training, and forward certification to PTC staff. The PTC BCPO certificate will then be sent to the school director, who will forward it to the employing agency.
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