More than 300 police departments and law enforcement agencies across New Jersey have collectively allocated over $1 million in public funds to Street Cop Training, a private police training company previously flagged by the State Comptroller’s Office for promoting potentially unconstitutional tactics. This revelation comes from a supplemental six-page report released on Thursday, detailing financial transactions between December 1, 2019, and March 13, 2023.
The report highlights that departments from all 21 counties in New Jersey, alongside county and state-level law enforcement agencies, participated in courses offered by Street Cop Training. Despite a directive from Attorney General Matt Platkin advising against attendance, at least 20 officers were identified on the registration list for the company’s 2024 conference in Florida, signaling a defiance of the Attorney General’s guidance.
Adding to the controversy, at least 32 departments continued to utilize public funds for Street Cop Training courses even after a prior 2021 conference. An investigation into the 2021 event revealed allegations of instructors making offensive remarks about women and encouraging officers to conduct traffic stops without legitimate cause. The State Comptroller’s investigation further indicated that Street Cop Training was willing to assist officers in concealing their involvement with the company, either as attendees or instructors.
A report from December 2023 indicated the widespread reach of Street Cop Training, with approximately 1,000 officers nationwide, nearly a quarter from New Jersey, attending the seminars at taxpayer expense. In total, 2,721 government entities across 49 states, including New Jersey, have funded Street Cop Training courses and events. Pennsylvania saw 323 entities on the comptroller’s list, while New York had 70. Notably, even West Chester University police officers participated in a Street Cop Training course on social media surveillance in 2022.
Following the initial reports and controversies, Attorney General Platkin mandated retraining for New Jersey officers who had attended Street Cop Training seminars, reflecting the state’s concern over the training’s content and implications. Street Cop Training, now based in Florida, following a bankruptcy declaration last year and a move from its original New Jersey base, remains a contentious entity in law enforcement training. The company’s training courses have been banned in nine states, including New Jersey, underscoring the serious concerns surrounding its methods and teachings in street cop training.
