A report issued Dec. 18 by the state comptroller showed that many motorists who possess police courtesy cards or who have familial relationships with law enforcement are not subject to penalty when pulled over by New Jersey State Police even when the offense was excessive speed or impairment. It was a shocking report.
In one instance a woman drove more than 100 mph but was released without penalty because her father was a police lieutenant. In another instance a driver who was going over 90 mph and had been drinking was released without consequence after presenting a courtesy card to a state trooper.
The events in the report are shocking enough, but what makes the report’s findings surprising is the lack of outrage from our senior officials.
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Almost every oath of office in New Jersey contains the promise to ‘faithfully, impartially, and justly’ perform duties. These are more than just words – they are the foundation of public trust in government and law enforcement.
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Frank Serratore, a police union official, said he was sure the officers’ actions were “professional and appropriate.” The State Police superintendent, Patrick Callahan, had no public comment. Our normally loquacious governor spoke only through an aide, who said Murphy was “troubled” by the report but maintained confidence in Callahan and Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
It was another instance where officials felt the public deserved no comment, where a two-tiered system of justice on our highways is acceptable.
Murphy, who speaks out on issues of social justice in almost any forum, could not find his voice about video evidence that reckless drivers, speeding drivers and drivers who admitted to drinking were not sanctioned or subjected to sobriety testing.
Where is that commitment to equal justice under the law now? Is this a principle in which we believe, or one that we use when it can be applied to populations we wish to please?
No single instance of special treatment by police is ever acceptable. Officers who engage in special treatment should be subject to immediate adverse action.
This is a simple issue. There is no complexity involved. This practice has no defense. It undermines faith in law enforcement. It endangers everyone on our roads. It removes the incentive for corrective action.
We should not care that this practice has been in place for a long time. It was wrong then, and it is wrong now.
The report carries a series of recommendations, including having the Legislature preclude the distribution of the cards. It suggests that the State Police expand review of motor vehicle stops to include those with no consequences.
The report also urges the attorney general to issue a directive explicitly barring police from using drivers’ relationships to law enforcement when exercising discretion at a traffic stop. This directive should apply to all police officers, not just to State Police.
What is lost if we were to implement these recommendations? What onerous burden would they place on law enforcement officers?
They would prevent officers from giving preferential treatment to their own.
Almost every oath of office in New Jersey contains the promise to “faithfully, impartially and justly” perform the duties. These are more than just words. To do less is to undermine faith in government and law enforcement.
Think for a moment if just one life is lost, or one family experiences severe physical harm because a New Jersey State Police officer did not impartially perform his or her duties.
Think also that if a line is crossed in allowing someone with law enforcement connections to benefit from those connections by avoiding consequences for breaking the law on our roads, where does that lead? Are there other areas where being a card-carrying member of some form of law enforcement fraternity benefits those who bend or break other laws applicable to us but not them?
The report, which contained video evidence, should have outraged the governor, the attorney general and the State Police superintendent. It should have created negative comments among our legislators. It did not, possibly because they have all known of the practice.
There is no justification for the way these courtesy cards are used. There is no immunity passed to family members of a law enforcement officer regardless of rank.
It is not acceptable for the superintendent of the State Police to make no comment on this report. It is not acceptable for the governor to send out a staff member to say he is troubled.
End this practice now. Subject those who continue to practice it to discipline. Tell police unions to butt out of the issue of whether our laws are enforced impartially.
Quotes from the Bible
“When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” — Proverbs 21:15
