[Calpernia]

http://www.state.nj.us/sci/pdf/spca.pdf

Excerpt:

POWER TO CARRY WEAPONS: Perhaps the most disturbing area of unbridled authority bestowed upon SPCAs is the ability of their officers to carry firearms without being subject to governmental oversight or to most of the stringent requirements governing legitimate law enforcement officers. While some SPCAs do not allow their officers to carry weapons or do not use the designation 'officer' in order to eliminate the firearms issue, the officers of nine SPCAs are armed. Both county and state SPCA officers are exempt under NJSA 2C: 39-6c(7), which empowers SPCA officers to carry weapons in the actual performance of their official duties.

[Calpernia]

http://www.state.nj.us/sci/pdf/spca.pdf

Excerpt:

SPCA Officers in the Bergen and Warren County societies admitted that even though they did not investigate any cruelty complaints and owned no guns before joining the SPCA, they purchased numerous weapons after they became qualified to carry as SPCA officers.

[Coleus]

Thanks, I remember reading an investigative story regarding this issue. It's rather scary since the SPCA really has no police authority or police training and can use weapons while the average law-abiding citizen in NJ can't carry a gun unless they have the explicit permission from a superior court judge!