Current through L. 2023, c. 349.
Section 52:4B-44.1a - Attorney General, community outreach, victims of human trafficking; pilot program, grantsa. The Attorney General shall exercise its authority as head of the Department of Law and Public Safety and chief law enforcement officer of the State to utilize the resources of the department to perform outreach in the community and deliver services to victims of human trafficking in conjunction with other governmental entities, the Victims of Crime Compensation Office, and other victims' rights organizations, through means as the Attorney General deems appropriate, including, but not limited to, the use of a Statewide victim service provider or other public agencies or private service providers, component divisions of the department, family justice centers, or any other resources that may be made available for this purpose.b. The Attorney General shall be authorized to establish within the limits of funds made available for this purpose a pilot program to award grants to service providers to perform outreach and deliver services to victims of human trafficking in urban municipalities with the highest crime index in this State, according to the most recent Uniform Crime Report prepared by the New Jersey Division of State Police and in municipalities that are located near major maritime transportation hubs and have significant minority populations, as determined by the Attorney General. Application to the pilot program shall be made on forms and pursuant to procedures prescribed by the department, and upon completion, any pilot program shall be evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the pilot program, with a recommendation as to whether the pilot program should be continued, expanded, or made permanent.Added by L. 2023, c. 297,s. 1, eff. 1/16/2024.