The Hoboken Blog

Now before some PBA nut comes at me with false summonses or digs into my past for all the parking tickets I’ve gotten over the years, let me say I am a huge fan of law enforcement. I wanted to become a cop when I was younger and always respected those who had the guts to do what I cannot - that is risking my life for the safety and sanity of society. Its often a thankless job that only goes noticed when one of the brothers (or sisters) have fallen in the line of duty or in remembrance of terrible tragedies like 9/11.

But not all of the finest live in Hoboken. I don’t think - and certainly have no evidence suggesting - that anyone on Hoboken’s police force is taking kickbacks or is involved in anything obviously illegal. What I do think is that many of the police in Hoboken use their powers for gain that is not noble or just in the least. This post was sparked earlier this evening when yours truly witnessed a marked patrol car use its siren lights to ‘legally’ go through a red light.

I’m no lawyer either but I am under the impression that a patrol car of any kind must signal with its sirens and lights when moving through a red light so as to alert the oncoming traffic of the responding officer’s intent to go through the stoplight. I don’t know if the police are allowed to use their lights in emergencies only but the cops that I saw tonight were in no hurry to get to an emergency. They turned their lights off as soon as they crossed the intersection and went on their way.

This really gets to me! It just smacks of attitude and bravado. Their behavior tells me it’s ok to run a red light as long as you are a cop. That driver put himself above the law and it makes me doubt the integrity of the force. This is not an isolated incident either. I’ve seen this before. Next time, however, I’m getting the plate or car number and complain to the mayor. The last thing I want is to live in a town where as if on a whim, the cops use their powers or lights egregiously as if to satisfy some need to prop up their self esteem or satisfy some quota.

If I wanted to show the people of Hoboken that it is a safe place to live and that lawlessness would be justly dealt with, I would not have the police force abuse their powers or equipment. I pay for that car and those lights - I don’t want them used in any way unless it’s responding to a genuine emergency or legitimate traffic stop (we can get into the illegitimate ones later). If I also wanted to make sure people felt protected, I’d start with making them comfortable with the people doing the protecting. Right now, I don’t feel comfortable. I feel like I have to watch out for cops who disregard their oath to protect and to serve; I have to make sure that I don’t jay walk in front of a squad car for fear of reprisal.

Now as I said, I have no evidence suggesting any impropriety of any kind. I just don’t feel like I can count on the police here to enforce the laws if they themselves break - and if not break, then stretch very thinly. I don’t even know if this practice of running red lights is done by more than one officer. But since one bad apple can spoil the bunch, I’d talk to the offending party(ies) if I was a boy in blue and saw that kind of hypocritical behavior.

Maybe if enough of us see this going on and feel the way I do, we’d be able to get these abusive police off the force and giving some other, less critical, profession a bad name. Afterall, who will police the police?

Remember, those who enforce the law are not above the law.