New Jersey § 40a:14-180

§ 40a:14-180.

a. The provisions of any other law to the contrary notwithstanding, the appointing

authority of a county or municipality which, pursuant to N.J.S.40A:14-106 , in the case of a county, or N.J.S.40A:14-118 , in the case of a municipality, has established and maintains a police force or the sheriff of any county may appoint as a member or officer of the county or municipal police department or as a member or officer of the county sheriff's office any person who: (1) was serving as a law enforcement officer in good standing in any State, county

or municipal law enforcement department or agency , or county sheriff's office ; and (2) satisfactorily completed a working test period in a State law enforcement title

or in a law enforcement title in a county or municipality which has adopted Title

11A, Civil Service, of the New Jersey Statutes or satisfactorily completed a comparable,

documented probationary period in a law enforcement title in a county or municipality

which has not adopted Title 11A, Civil Service; and (3) was, for reasons of economy, terminated as a law enforcement officer within 60

months prior to the appointment. b. A county , municipality , or sheriff may employ such a person notwithstanding that: (1) Title 11A, Civil Service, of the New Jersey Statutes is operative in that county

or municipality; (2) the county , municipality , or sheriff's office has available to it an eligible or regular reemployment list of law enforcement officers eligible for such appointments; and (3) the appointed person is not on any eligible list. A county or municipality which has adopted Title 11A, Civil Service, may not employ

such a person if a special reemployment list is in existence for the law enforcement

title to be filled. c. If a county or a sheriff determines to appoint a person pursuant to the provisions of this act, first priority in making such appointments shall be given to residents of the county. A municipality making such an appointment shall give first priority to residents

of the municipality and second priority to residents of the county not residing in

the municipality. d. The seniority, seniority-related privileges and rank a law enforcement officer

possessed with the employer who terminated the officer's employment for reasons of

economy shall not be transferable to a new position when the officer is appointed

to a law enforcement position pursuant to the provisions of this section. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a sheriff's investigator appointed

pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1987, c. 113 ( C.40A:9-117a ).