TRENTON – During a meeting this afternoon with the Department of Law & Public Safety’s “Diversity Council,” Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced a series of initiatives designed to promote diversity throughout the Department. Among other efforts, Attorney General Grewal mandated that all state and county prosecutors undergo implicit bias training and that the Department consider the overall diversity of law firms when deciding which firms to hire for legal services.

“One of New Jersey’s greatest strengths is the diversity of its residents,” Attorney General Grewal wrote in a memorandum issued to all Department employees. “At the Department of Law & Public Safety, we have a special responsibility to reflect and promote that diversity, not simply as the employer of a large and talented workforce, but also as a law enforcement agency tasked with guaranteeing equal protection of our laws and as a regular purchaser of professional services, including outside legal counsel. We must ensure that our actions reflect our values.”

“For nearly 100 years, the men and women of the New Jersey State Police have served diverse communities throughout the state. In lock step with the Attorney General, we continue to explore effective and inclusive strategies with internal and external partners with the goal of allowing our agency to lead the way in demonstrating to other professions how effective diverse organizations should operate,” said Acting Superintendent of the State Police Colonel Patrick Callahan.

The memorandum identified a number of diversity initiatives, including:

Attorney General Grewal tasked the Department’s Chief Diversity Officer, Assistant Attorney General Lora Fong, to prioritize and pursue these initiatives in her leadership and implementation of the Department’s diversity and inclusion mission.

As part of the diversity initiative, Attorney General Grewal directed that all members of the Department’s senior leadership attend implicit bias training. Last Thursday, Attorney General Grewal participated in a training of his own, along with NJSP Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Director of New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Jared Maples, and other Department leaders.

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