Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has announced a new statewide directive requiring all law enforcement agencies in New Jersey to develop and maintain policies for responding to active violent events. The measure, known as Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive 2025-2, aims to ensure consistent standards across agencies in the state regarding procedures and training for active shooter situations.
“My office is committed to making sure every law enforcement agency and officer is well prepared, in the event of a tragedy, to take immediate action,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Lack of planning and delays during an active shooter response can be disastrous and result in the unnecessary loss of innocent lives. This directive seeks to ensure agencies have proper training, policies, and plans in place. It is our greatest responsibility to reduce the frequency and severity of these incidents, we must take every precaution possible.”
The directive takes effect immediately and instructs agencies to create policies that address training, coordination, and response plans for active violent events. Agencies are required to submit their policies to their respective county prosecutor’s office by January 9, 2026. County prosecutors will then verify that each plan aligns with the directive’s requirements.
Specific criteria outlined in the directive include prioritizing the neutralization of threats, rescuing victims, and clearing bystanders from the area during active shooter incidents. The policies must also incorporate protocols for on-scene coordination based on the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and require the establishment of a unified command structure for coordinated emergency management.
Additionally, agencies must include protocols for family reunification, designating which agency will manage reunification and detailing the process for establishing a reunification site. Law enforcement training plans are required to feature a basic active shooter incident management course and a tactical training course for officers. Each county prosecutor’s office will conduct annual active shooter training exercises that require participation from every law enforcement agency in the county, and encourage participation from fire and emergency medical services.
The directive highlights the need for preparedness at critical locations such as schools, hospitals, stadiums, and government buildings. Agencies must keep updated points of contact for these sites. For jurisdictions with educational institutions, there must be plans to ensure immediate police access to each school, developed in collaboration with the institutions to address their unique needs and resources. Agencies should also maintain accessible maps of all educational institutions in their areas.
In August 2022, Governor Phil Murphy announced a $6.5 million federal investment to digitize school building blueprints and provide them to first responders, supporting efforts to improve emergency responses in schools.
The full text of the directive is available online.
