More than 640 police officers faced major discipline in 2024 according to new data released by the New Jersey Attorney General's office today.

That's a 40% increase over last year.

The majority are for attendance violations, but the report also includes several serious allegations of misconduct.

The AG today also reported more than 15,000 internal affairs investigations involving about 8,800 officers across the state.

The figures come as a new bill is introduced in Trenton, sparking strong reaction on both sides of the debate over police oversight.

The legislation backed by Republican state senator Michael Ta would remove the state police from under the attorney general's authority and place the agency directly under the governor's control.

Supporters argue it would free troopers from directives, but civil rights groups warn it would weaken critical accountability measures.

Ted Goldberg reports as part of our under the dome series.

When I speak to law enforcement agents, they say to me all of the time that they feel that the handcuffs have been placed on them, not on those who were accused of criminal activity.

A bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Senator Michael Ta would make the state police its own government department reporting to the governor rather than reporting to the attorney general as they do now.

For Ta, the bill is partly based on criticism of the state's immigrant trust directive, which limits how New Jersey police are allowed to interact with ICE.

Prior to the immigrant trust directive, if someone came in and tried to turn themselves in, the New Jersey State Police would have detained that person, made some phone calls, potentially some emails, some form of contact with ICE to determine whether this individual was in fact wanted by ICE and they weren't able to do that.

They turned that individual away.

One of the detainees who broke out of Delaney Hall in Newark tried to turn themselves in to police in Bridgton, but police said they couldn't bring him back because of the immigrant trust directive.

The proposed bill has some fierce critics.

This proposed bill uh is an assault on black people.

Social justice activists like Reverend Charles Ber say this bill is a way for state police to avoid the reforms that Attorney General Matt Placken's office recommended.

Coming from two reports that found racism in the state police's internal affairs and promotions practices.

They have discriminated and persecuted black state troopers.

And if black state troopers are not safe, certainly black civilians are not safe.

I'm not sure what the motivations are behind it.

uh where that's coming from um overall other than the police not necessarily being in alignment with some of the reform work that has been going on over the last several years.

There's no secret that they are upset and angry because of the recent reports that have come out which have shown a light into how egregious the state police continue to be.

So the whole push to come up from underneath the attorney general's office is a push to deal with less accountability.

From 1999 to 2009, state police were run under a consent decree from the federal department of justice after allegations of racial discrimination.

The state NAACP, which has called for Superintendent Patrick Callahan to resign for failing to address problems in the force, says it's open to the bill.

We want change and we want accountability.

And if that means moving it to the governor's office, that's good.

They are equal opportunity discriminators at the New Jersey State Police.

This is a department that uh just sees of uh racial injustice and racial discrimination.

New Jersey is in the minority of states where state police report to the AG's office.

State NAACP President Richard Smith says an inspector general model might work better for New Jersey.

We need an independent body.

And when that individual is appointed, I would like to see that individual appointed to like a six-year term so that doesn't coincide with the governor's term.

Offices for Plain and Governor Phil Murphy declined to comment for the story.

Senator Tus says he believes this bill could pass during the lame duck session, or at least some form of it.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Ted Goldberg.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.