By Jack Ciattarelli
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; the Murphy Administration’s unilateral decision to publicly name state troopers disciplined as far back as 20 years, many for minor administrative violations, serves no purpose other than political theater.
As a state and country, we must take decisive action to ensure that bad cops are out of uniform and off the streets. That includes releasing the names of law enforcement officers found guilty of violations such as excessive use of force or racial bias.
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But do we really need to release the personal information of an officer who was late to work 20 years ago?
Governor Murphy’s plan would do just that. It would also release the personal information of retired troopers, including those no longer involved in law enforcement. In fact, Murphy’s plan would even go so far as to release the information of troopers who have since passed away, leaving their families to see the names of their loved ones dragged through the mud with no ability to defend themselves.
How is it that the same Administration which removes the names of criminal offenders from state online database wants to post in perpetuity the names of troopers with even minor administrative violations? The answer, as it too often is with this Administration, is politics – plain and simple.
Well, we’ve had enough of Governor Murphy playing politics with our law enforcement community. I agree with the police unions that the Governor’s plan to unmask and re-punish troopers for decades-old and long since resolved issues serves no legitimate purpose.
I call on Governor Murphy to rescind his Attorney General’s order and come up with a reasonable plan that protects our troopers, their families, and the communities they serve.
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JACK CIATTARELLI (R-16) is a businessman, former State Assemblyman, and Republican candidate for the 2021 gubernatorial nomination.
