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NJDOL Releases New, Plain-Language, Mobile-Friendly Unemployment Application – Insider NJ

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NJDOL Releases New, Plain-Language, Mobile-Friendly Unemployment Application – Insider NJ


NJDOL Releases New, Plain-Language, Cell-Pleasant Unemployment Utility

NJ Leads the Manner in US Labor Division’s Nationwide Enchancment Pilot Following Deluge of Claims Throughout COVID-19 Pandemic

 

TRENTON – The New Jersey Division of Labor and Workforce Improvement (NJDOL) as we speak launched important updates to its Unemployment Insurance coverage software, the primary of many enhancements designed to make it simpler for New Jerseyans to use for unemployment advantages.

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The updates launched as we speak have been designed and developed in collaboration with the U.S. Division of Labor (USDOL), U.S. Digital Service (USDS), NJDOL’s Division of Data Know-how, and the New Jersey Workplace of Innovation to modernize the net software by permitting employees to use simply from a cell phone, and improve accessibility for these utilizing display screen readers or different assistive applied sciences.

 

“I’m thrilled to launch these adjustments that make it simpler for customers to entry and work together with the applying, and assist New Jersey employees really feel extra assured they understood the questions being requested,” mentioned Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo.

 

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To tell the adjustments, the state and federal authorities groups labored alongside New Jerseyans every step of the best way, observing in real-time the place the applying questions have been usually misunderstood. These misunderstandings finally triggered candidates to have to attend to search out out in the event that they have been eligible for advantages; New Jersey couldn’t launch funds till the employee clarified their reply. A number of variations of adjustments, which finally included simplified questions, larger textual content and reply buttons, and the introduction of helper textual content, have been knowledgeable by user-testing with New Jersey employees and Unemployment Insurance coverage candidates.

 

Extra re-wording of questions and solutions will happen within the days and weeks forward, reflecting a change in method towards the extensively confirmed methodology of agile software program improvement, which introduces enhancements regularly. NJDOL will probably be studying and adjusting the expertise for UI candidates over the following month. These adjustments symbolize a dedication to a brand new manner of working, together with the distinctive partnership with the federal authorities and the involvement of New Jerseyans within the course of.

 

“We’re placing New Jerseyans on the middle of each resolution that goes into constructing an improved Unemployment Insurance coverage expertise. That is the one manner we will be sure that we design a system that delivers assist to New Jerseyans once they most count on it and offers confidence that their authorities is working for them,” added New Jersey State Chief Innovation Officer Beth Simone Noveck. “This new method is made potential by a first-of-its-kind collaborative effort by the US Digital Service, the U.S. Division of Labor, NJDOL, NJOIT and the Workplace of Innovation – I’m deeply grateful for his or her partnership and dedication to delivering a high quality digital service that New Jerseyans deserve.”

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The up to date software represents a primary however necessary step within the ongoing collaboration between New Jersey and its federal companions to enhance the expertise of New Jersey employees in the course of the technique of making use of for and receiving unemployment advantages. Finally, claimants throughout the nation will profit from the enhancements being designed and developed in New Jersey.

 

New Jersey was chosen to steer this nationwide effort for a number of causes: The state constantly leads the nation within the share of unemployed employees who efficiently obtain advantages; NJDOL has a profitable working relationship with USDOL and USDS; it obtained a rare variety of unemployment purposes (roughly 2.5 million) since March of 2020; and it discovered modern options to paying advantages throughout a time of unprecedented demand.

 

“I’m deeply grateful that Secretary Walsh and USDOL have the religion in New Jersey to associate with us on this exceptional modernization mission,” mentioned Asaro-Angelo. “This was made potential by American Rescue Plan funds and the advocacy of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation. We sit up for persevering with to work with our federal companions to result in true Unemployment Insurance coverage reform for claimants throughout the nation.”

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New Jersey

New Jersey State Police Gave a ‘Free Pass’ to Motorists with Courtesy Cards or Ties to Police, Investigation Finds – Insider NJ

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New Jersey State Police Gave a ‘Free Pass’ to Motorists with Courtesy Cards or Ties to Police, Investigation Finds – Insider NJ


The Office of the State Comptroller found even motorists suspected of dangerous driving offenses were let go by New Jersey State Police.

TRENTON—An investigation finds that New Jersey State Police troopers routinely gave preferential treatment to certain motorists who presented a courtesy card or asserted a personal connection to law enforcement—even when motorists were suspected of dangerous offenses, like drunk driving, according to a new report by the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller.

OSC’s Police Accountability Project reviewed body worn camera footage of 501 no-enforcement stops by New Jersey State Police–meaning stops where New Jersey State troopers did not issue tickets or make arrests. In 139 or 27 percent of these no-enforcement stops, motorists presented a courtesy card, claimed to have a friend or relative in law enforcement, or flashed a law enforcement badge and then were let go, OSC’s report said. In some cases, the trooper released the motorist immediately, offering some version of “you’re good.” The report found that courtesy cards are in wide usage and function as “accepted currency” by state troopers. (In all but one case, the troopers gave the courtesy card back to the motorist, enabling the card to be used again.)

Reviewing more than 50 hours of body worn camera footage of the stops, which took place over ten days in December 2022, OSC found that troopers regularly decided not to enforce motor vehicle laws after receiving a courtesy card or being told the driver has ties to law enforcement. For instance, one motorist, who was stopped for driving over 90 miles per hour, admitted to drinking alcohol but was let go without a sobriety test after he presented two courtesy cards. Another motorist was stopped for driving over 103 miles per hour and was released after she volunteered that her father was a lieutenant in a local police department. The most significant consequence the troopers imposed in these stops was advising the motorists that they had left a voicemail message for the law enforcement officer named on the courtesy card or invoked as a friend or relative. OSC has released video excerpts of the footage.

“Our investigation shows that some people are being given a free pass to violate serious traffic safety laws,” said Acting State Comptroller Kevin Walsh. “Law enforcement decisions should never depend on who you know, your family connections, or donations to police unions. Nepotism and favoritism undermine our laws and make our roads more dangerous.”

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Overall, close to half of the 501 non-enforcement stops reviewed by OSC involved speeding, many for more than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit. In three stops, drivers stopped for reckless driving, careless driving, and/or speeding, also admitted to drinking alcohol, yet were released without being asked to step out of the car for a field sobriety test. Both drunk driving and speeding are major causes of traffic fatalities. According to data compiled by the New Jersey State Police Fatal Accident Investigation Unit, in 2022, New Jersey recorded 646 fatal collisions that resulted in 689 deaths or 1.89 fatalities per day. This was among the highest number of traffic-related deaths in New Jersey in the past 15 years.

OSC initiated this investigation in response to reports that law enforcement officers’ decisions not to enforce motor vehicle violations were influenced by improper factors, including courtesy cards. Courtesy cards, often referred to as PBA cards, FOP cards, or gold cards, are given out by police labor associations to law enforcement officers. They also can be purchased through “associate memberships” with police associations and are sold by private companies.

OSC’s investigation found that courtesy cards are widely used. In 87, or 17 percent, of the no-enforcement stops OSC reviewed, motorists presented courtesy cards that came from municipal police departments, county and state agencies, as well as inter-state and out-of-state law enforcement agencies. They all appeared to be equally effective at getting motorists released without enforcement.

Asserting a relationship with law enforcement appeared to carry equal weight, OSC found. In 52 or 10 percent of the no-enforcement stops reviewed, the driver or passengers did not present a courtesy card but claimed a connection to law enforcement, and the trooper decided to let them go. In 29 of those stops, the motorist or passenger identified themselves as current, retired, or in-training law enforcement officers. Other stops resulted in no enforcement when the drivers or passengers claimed a relative, friend, or neighbor worked in a law enforcement agency.

In one stop, a trooper said he stopped a motorist for driving 97 miles per hour. After an extended conversation about the “friends” they had in common, the trooper told the driver to “stay safe” and let him go. In another stop, a trooper performed a computerized look-up of the driver’s credentials and discovered the driver had an active warrant for his arrest. But when the driver’s friend introduced himself, letting the trooper know that he was also an off-duty trooper, the stopping trooper walked back to the motorist, apologized for stopping him, and let him go without even mentioning the warrant. OSC was unable to determine from the footage what the warrant was for.

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Other findings include:

  • Providing preferential treatment to motorists who present courtesy cards or assert close personal relationships with law enforcement appears to have a discriminatory impact. Of the 87 courtesy cards observed in the sample, for instance, 69 were presented by White drivers.
  • Even when courtesy cards were not present, racial disparities were observed in the sample. New Jersey State Police policy requires troopers to request all three driving credentials (license, registration, proof of insurance) when making motor vehicle stops, but OSC found overall, White and Asian drivers were less likely to have all three of their credentials requested and verified when compared to Black and Hispanic/LatinX drivers. Additionally, troopers conducted computerized lookups of Hispanic/LatinX drivers 65 percent of the time, while looking up White drivers only 34 percent of the time.
  • In many stops, OSC was unable to ascertain why the troopers made the decision not to enforce motor vehicle violations because of the quality of the video footage or other factors. Still, OSC observed several of those stops involved dangerous offenses, underscoring the importance of reviewing no-enforcement motor vehicle stops, which are not routinely reviewed.

OSC made 11 recommendations, including that New Jersey State Police regularly review no-enforcement stops to better understand racial/ethnic trends in motor vehicle data and determine if additional training is needed. OSC also recommended that the Attorney General consider issuing a directive that would explicitly prohibit law enforcement officers from giving preferential treatment to motorists because of their ties to law enforcement or possession of courtesy cards.

Read the report. 

Watch excerpts of the body camera footage. 

Sign up now for OSC’s newsletter.



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New Jersey

Authorities Debunk Viral Explanation for NJ Drone Sightings

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Authorities Debunk Viral Explanation for NJ Drone Sightings


U.S. News

The drones spotted over the Garden State were probably not looking for a missing shipment of radioactive material.

Newsday LLC/Newsday via Getty Images
Zachary Folk

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.



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N.J. weighs making underage gambling no longer a crime, but subject to a fine

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N.J. weighs making underage gambling no longer a crime, but subject to a fine


Should underage gambling no longer be a crime?

New Jersey lawmakers are considering changing the law to make gambling by people under the age of 21 no longer punishable under criminal law, making it subject to a fine.

It also would impose fines on anyone helping an underage person gamble in New Jersey.

The bill changes the penalties for underage gambling from that of a disorderly persons offense to a civil offense. Fines would be $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second offense, and $2,000 for any subsequent offenses.

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The money would be used for prevention, education, and treatment programs for compulsive gambling, such as those provided by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey.

“The concern I had initially was about reducing the severity of the punishment,” said Assemblyman Don Guardian, a Republican former mayor of Atlantic City. “But the fact that all the money will go to problem gambling treatment programs changed my mind.”

Figures on underage gambling cases were not immediately available Thursday. But numerous people involved in gambling treatment and recovery say a growing number of young people are becoming involved in gambling, particularly sports betting as the activity spreads around the country.

The bill was approved by an Assembly committee and now goes to the full Assembly for a vote. It must pass both houses of the Legislature before going to the desk of the state’s Democratic governor, Phil Murphy.



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