I didn't want to wait on this news...
Let me just say....this is a significant reform. An excellent start that I candidly did not see coming as something to address that would be impactful. But it is impactful. Gurbir S. Grewall, the NJ Attorney General, concluded after careful deliberation that "it is in the public's interest to reveal the identities of NJ law enforcement officers sanctioned for serious disciplinary violations." He further reasoned,
"The public's trust depends on maintaining confidence that police officers serve their communities with dignity and respect. In the uncommon instance when officers fall well short of those expectations, the public has a right to know that an infraction occurred, and that the underlying issue was corrected before that officer potentially returned to duty."
I agree with this completely. For far too long, officers who do not serve their community with dignity and respect have been protected by the confidentiality of "internal affairs" records. This is not me taking an anti-police officer position. Far from it, I respect the responsibilities and risks police officers undertake every day to protect and serve their community. Those officers who take their oath of office seriously, and perform each day with it in mind, will always have my support.
The complete text to the Attorney General's memorandum to "All Law Enforcement Chief Executives" dated June 15, 2020 can be found here:
Of course, this is simply a starting point to address one of many issues that are needed to improve how we approach law enforcement today and in the future. Stay tuned for updates as I receive them.
1 comment:
This is an important step in our community having faith and trust in our police department. I'm encouraged that you are supporting this and commend you for letting us know about it in a timely manner.
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