Police departments throughout the state willhave to make a concerted eff�ort to recruit peopleof color and women if Gov. Phil Murphy signs abill working its way through the Legislature.

Local chiefs and law enforcement experts lau-ded the bill’s aim of boosting diversity in theranks by setting recruiting goals and making suredepartments stick to them. But some worriedthat it could have the unintended consequence offorcing chiefs to look past qualifi�ed candidates tosatisfy an informal quota.

“It’s a good thing to have offi�cers refl�ect the res-idents of your municipality,” said Brian Higgins, aprofessor at John Jay College of Criminal Justicein Manhattan and the former chief of the BergenCounty Police Department. “And there is room forimprovement: Some municipalities have proventhey can’t be trusted, quite frankly. But the No. 1

priority should be to get the best candidate.”The measure is part of a package of police re-

form bills moving through the state Legislatureafter the death of George Floyd, the unarmedBlack man who died under the knee of a whiteMinneapolis offi�cer in May.

In late July, the state Senate passed legislationmaking it a crime to call 911 with the intent to ha-rass a person based on race, gender or other pro-tected classifi�cations. Another bill would makecultural diversity and implicit bias training man-datory for every cop in the state.

The recruitment proposal, S-401, is sponsoredby Democratic state Sens. Shirley Turner of Mer-cer County and Sandra Cunningham of HudsonCounty and passed the upper chamber lastmonth by a vote of 38-1.

The state Assembly overwhelmingly approvedan earlier version in June, but must vote again on

New Jersey is pushing to make its police officers look more like the communities they patrol.GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

Lawmakers push police departments to increase hiring of women, minoritiesSteve Janoski and Monsy AlvaradoNorthJersey.com | USA TODAY NETWORK – NEW JERSEY

See POLICE, Page 8A

AP-GCI0464079-01

(732) 655-9101

ASBURY PARK PRESS APP.COM

PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK

FRIDAY 08.14.20

QEAJAB-11711x(K)i)L)e)aVolume 141 | Number 195

Home delivery pricing insideSubscribe 1-800-822-9779

©2020 $2.50

White House: Israel, UAEto reestablish ties. 4B

Weather

High 78° ❚ Low 70°T-storm. Forecast, 6B

BARNEGAT LIGHT - Just as the sun was comingover the horizon, Capt. Tim Brindley was pulling in hisbottom trawl net. Tangled in the extension lines was agreat white shark.

He was in sight of land on Aug. 1, 21⁄�2 miles northeastof Barnegat Inlet dragging for fl�uke near the remains ofthe Persephone, a World War II-era wreck.

“I just thought, ‘Oh my God, there’s a great whiteshark in the net,’” said Brindley, 58, of Barnegat Light,

Barnegat Light mancatches great whiteshark in trawl net

See SHARK, Page 11A

Dan Radel Asbury Park Press

USA TODAY NETWORK – NEW JERSEY

JACKSON - Nicole Wahler expected to be feelingbetter by now; her COVID-19 infection began in mid-March.

Yet fi�ve months later, this once active, fi�t 26-year-old from Jackson can’t seem to get well.

Wahler says she can no longer work out fi�ve days aweek or lift weights like she used to. Her heart ratespikes from mild activity or sitting outside in the heat,she said. She now suff�ers balance issues, severe fa-

Woman feelseff�ects of virus5 months laterJackson 26-year-old still suff�ersbalance issues, heart rate spikes

See SYMPTOMS, Page 11A

Amanda Oglesby Asbury Park Press

USA TODAY NETWORK – NEW JERSEY

Seaside Heightsfi�reworks returnwith precautionsLOCAL, 3A

LAKEWOOD - The district’s plan to reopenschools hit a snag Wednesday night when it could notfi�nd an aff�ordable bidder to expand busing to ensureCOVID-19 compliance, but it moved ahead on freecoronavirus tests and a planned meeting on buildinga 20,000-square-foot multipurpose dome.

Lakewood is among a handful of school districts inNew Jersey planning to reopen at full capacity whenthe school year starts in the next few weeks. Thatwould bring more than 6,500 students back to the

township’s classrooms starting Sept. 4. But when the board sought bidders to expand its

regular transportation service with COVID-19-com-pliant busing, it was disappointed with the results.

Gustavo Martínez Contreras Asbury Park Press

USA TODAY NETWORK – NEW JERSEY

Lakewood schools planmore free virus tests

More on mobileGet instant news updates on your phone or tablet.Download the free APP.com “app” for videos, photosand more about Lakewood. Search “Asbury ParkPress” in the app store.

See LAKEWOOD, Page 11A

AP-GCI0439191-04

Find the right providers to serviceyour HVAC this summer.

Need Air?

Visit our mobile siteto find local pros:

homeservices.app.com

• Avoid close contact with others • Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others • Wash your hands often • Cover coughs and sneezes • Clean and disinfect often • Monitor your health daily

Stop the spread