Nearly 400 New Jersey cops faced major discipline last year, according to a report released Thursday by the Attorney General’s Office. The report shows officers got in trouble for things like an officer posting a video of a civilian driving his car in an unsafe manner and posting it to Instagram, or an officer leaving a loaded gun in a McDonald’s restroom. Almost three-quarters of those disciplined for misconduct weren’t fired; instead they received suspensions, demotions or other punishments, according to New Jersey Monitor.
The report was issued under a 2021 directive by the Attorney General’s Office in an attempt to hold officers accountable for misconduct and build trust within communities. It comes after two Bridgewater police officers are receiving major scrutiny for the way they handled a fight between two teens, one white and one Black at Bridgewater Commons mall. In a memo to law enforcement executives on Friday, acting Attorney General Matt Platkin wrote, “Many have commented on the appearance of racially disparate treatment of the two teens by the officers involved. I will not comment on the specifics of the recording here. The incident will be investigated, fairly and thoroughly, by the appropriate County Prosecutor pursuant to my Office’s strict procedures for investigating possible misconduct.”
