New Jersey’s Fraternal Order of Police – which is the state’s second biggest police union – has decided against endorsing Phil Murphy for a second term this November 2021.
While the Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli would’ve liked the nod (it looks like the FOP is staying neutral), it’s still a significant development since the union backed Murphy in his initial run for governor in 2017 against Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, a former sheriff.
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The Murphy Administration’s anti-police policies make the union’s non-endorsement decision not incredibly surprising.
Under Murphy, New Jersey became a “Sanctuary State” and, more recently, a new law enacted by Murphy subjects police to 3rd degree criminal penalties for initiating stops on the basis of an odor of marijuana or alcohol even if the subject is a minor. Murphy’s COVID-19 prison release policy has released multiple individuals who currently stand accused of homicide. Officers are now also subjected to extensive implicit bias training.
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