New Jersey – For much of the decade, the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department logged at least 50 complaints a year about inappropriate behavior by its officers, including bias against minority motorists.
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James Hall, the executive director of the Palisades Interstate Parkway Commission, acknowledges the history of such allegations from 2002 through 2007. But he says the complaints decreased to 15 out of 15,000 stops last year, after video cameras were installed in the patrol cars.
And he believes most of those 2008 allegations were unfounded, based on his examination of the film footage. “Either it didn’t happen or it didn’t happen the way the person suggested,” he said.
The complaints against the parkway police have been cited by two state assemblymen who proposed disbanding the force and replacing it with the Bergen County Police Department.
Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, who has since backed away from the proposal, said he still believes the department needs to be investigated. He said he received complaints from African-Americans, Latinos, Hasidic Jews, gays and Asians.
“The allegations of profiling and the inequity going on is something I still believe happened and was not addressed properly,” said Johnson, D-Englewood. “I believe there should be change up there. A change of leadership. There are only a few of them that have this behavior.”
Assemblyman John Rooney, R-Northvale, still wants the force eliminated.
“People have said the officers are anti-black, anti-gay, anti-Semitic and filed complaints against them,” he said. “The PIP have an attitude, a lack of respect. I believe the Bergen County police are more responsible.”
Sylvan Klein, executive director of Hatzoloh EMS of Rockland County, a Jewish ambulance service, said the police have stopped ambulances transporting patients from New York State to hospitals in New Jersey and Manhattan. He criticized officers’ treatment of the drivers and said the last incident was a little more than a year ago.
But Hall blamed Hatzoloh for the conflict. He said the ambulance service is supposed to notify the police when it will be using the road for an emergency because it is not licensed in New Jersey.
Hall also said that many of the complaints against officers were about demeanor, not bias. The cameras have helped considerably, he said.
“Most were about demeanor. People didn’t like the attitude of the officer. I think officers probably hold their tongues a bit [now] when they are on camera.”
50 complaints a year is surprisingly low considering the volume the Palisades handles
FINALLY!!!
These abusive power hungry imbeciles have made Hatzolah (Both NYC and Rockland) miserable.
Members were harrased. Busses were stopped and TICKETED.
The last incident with Rockland Hatzalah may have been over a year ago. Just this past summer an F member was stopped and ticketed while driving a Catskill bus.
These power-hungry idiots even arrested a NYC cop.
The notion that Hatzolah needs to call in advance is ridiculous. Often times the message is not passed through to the idiot cop on the road.
I doubt KY hatzolah has to notify the Garden State authorities when they pass through NJ.
And I’m talking about AMBULANCES not private hatzolah cars which might be debatable.
the cops on the palisades are loose cannons.
What is their rationale for stopping an ambulance? Clearly a Hatzolah ambulance is not a threat or commiting a crime. This shows what kind of animals they are and the article is very accurate and on target.
Some Facts You Should Know About the Palisades Police
The PIP Department patrols about 11.5 miles of parkway and about 2,500 acres of parkland from the George Washington Bridge north to the New York State line.
The department has 25 members on its force
The Department Chief gets $140k a year (The New York State Police Chief –superintendent- makes less than that.).
The department has a budget of 2.5 million, 1.7 million comes directly from the infamous Alpine court. (That’s right, the court you have to wait hours to be seen and in the end get a fine with no reductions. Wonder why?)
the palisades pkwy is the only strech of road in the Tri State area where Hatzolah is to date still constantly chased away from every single call the respond to!!!
Less then a year ago there was an MVA with yidden involved, the local ambulances as well as hatzolah responded the palisades police ticketed the Hatzolah ambulance fo being parked on the hwy…!!! However after a picture was prudoced which showed that all 5 ambulances being the locals & hatzolah were all parked equaly & Hatzalah was the only 1 ticketed did they dismiss the ticket.
To Mr. Hall Hatzalah IS autherized to respond on call in New Jersy! They do so on Rt. 4 they do so on the NJ17. They’re not autherized to render ALS. Get your facts straight!!!
And by the law of reciptrocity any call that originated in NYS can be transported throughout the entire Tri State area even if they wouldn’t be licensed in that area.
Yes its rediculis a whole station just to cover a 10 mile highway s just a waste
absolute power corrupts absolutly
Well, the rough economy may end disband these thugs. You probably don’t need them. NJ & NJ both have state forces, and Bergen County and Rockland County have a county police or a sheriff department. I’m sure those 4 forces can handle emergencies and traffic enforcement in their jurisdictions.
Plus it’s not uncommon to have cross border/outside jurisdiction in a major incident. After 9/11 you had CT Troopers riding Metro North trains into NYC, and NJ Troopers did the same on NJ Transit.
I worked for a comemrcial ambulance service when I lived upstate. If I had to get on the Thruway for an emergency transport, my dispatcher called the Thruway Authority at the exits I needed to get on/off. They opened a toll lane for me, and, if a NYS Trooper was around, the guy would block traffic to make it easier for me to navigate a busy toll plaza.
Just because only 50 people complain does not mean there are many more.
I was stopped and the cop was extremely abusive. I planned on complaining but figured it would be ignored.
Its about time we start installing recording devices in our cars and have these cops recorded and then the real truth will come out. They will write that you were speeding 30 miles above the limit when you were only 10 above.
They are a bunch of crooks.
They are the worst!!!
There is no reason whatsoever that you must notify them if you are passing thru with a patient on an ambulance. You should see the 2 pages of nonsense that is required if Hatzolah has to respond to a call on the Palisades. The notifications etc. But simply to drive thru with an ambulance on a call. That is pure rubbish.
They have a Sergeant Mike C. that is a felon was arrested for stealing radios from firehouses! you can’t make this stuff up
Someone should post an address of where we can complain. Then we’ll see how low the complaints are.
This Bum police force should be disbanded NOW. They are clear anti-semites.
How about we start calling the local elected officials to complain??
This blog did a good job in getting cell towers up on the NYS Thruway more then a year ago.
I think we should unite behind Hatzolah and get the PIP closed.
Lets roll.
I was stopped for speeding a few months ago. The cop claimed I was going 73 when my cruise control was set for 69. Yes, I was speeding and I rightfully deserved a ticket (although everyone else was traveling at this speed) However, the difference between 69 to 73 is $100 plus additional points.
I didn’t bother arguing with him because then he would have given me additional tickets for things that weren’t true. I learnt this the hard way when an officer once told me to come to court and he’ll clear the ticket. A different officer interviewed me twisted and turned around my words, claiming that I called the officer a liar… things got really ugly when I was actually being nice.
Unfortunately, unless you have it videotaped they have the upperhand.
They are the worst of the worst
I responded awhile ago to help someone with a flat tire one the PIP at exit 5 which is in new york state, the vehicle obviously pulled over to the right while the flat was on his left side facing the road. in order to help him without putting my life in danger, I parked behind him with my vehicle a bit into the right lane and my yellow traffic bar directing the ongoing traffic to the left.
a NY state trooper pulled over behind me – while I was almost done – to see what the commotion is all about. he complimented me for volinteering in such a tremendous organization where we help strange people completely free of charge and he stayed there untill we where completely done, just to make sure we stay safe.
Exactly the same story occered a few weeks later but now it happened at exit 2 which is in NJ. you can imagine yourself the other half of the story when that nasty NJ parkway cop pulled over behind me with a ticket for blocking a lane of the highway… and told that poor guy to call a legal authorized roadside assistance which unfortunetly cost him a fortune.
NASTY & MEAN!!!
They should be disbanded!
anyone has any info on where I can submit complains against these arrogant bums? I would love to have a chelik in making sure they r closed off.
Things never change.
When I was a kid 30 years ago my father (a’h) always drove exactly speed limit on PP because PIP were mean ticket crazed cops. This is all about Alpine getting money – NJ Troopers should take over.
Nu guys are ready to make change?
VIN, Lets get this rolling and make change on the PIP.
Who has addresses and phone numbers of the local elected officials? Post them please and lets make sure their phone doesn’t stop ringing.
NJ is in a budget crises and now is the time to close these bums down.
Does anyone know of other directions to Monsey and New Square with out using the PIP?
I think the best will be to boycott the Parkway and the affect will be:
1) Gas station losing money, so the area will lose tax revenue.
2) They won’t have who to issue tickets, so Alpine area won’t make money to support these cops.
What do you think will happen? SIMPLE: They will have to shut the PIP police station to save money.
Money talks these days.
they stopped me on the way home one night from Jersey at 1 am, the cop told me well, you know, you have a nice car……they stopped my son and his friends while they were on a Wendy’s run for food from college…innocent kids humiliated for no reason…why don’t they grab all those kids that are drag racing on and off the parkway and leaving from the Dunkin Donuts on Rt 59 by the car wash….its a weekly situation going on for years…why don’t they stop that…. hundreds of them hanging out and drag racing at 1-2 am on Sunday nites… where are they then!
Take route 80 west until the immediate exit to local route 9W. 50MPH speedlimit. take it until you enter NY. Not so bad.
And, the PIP are the intermediary problem. The real problem that gets no attention is that the stupid speed limit should be increased to 65mph (of course, drive slower in inclement weather like thick fog-or better yet, take route 17)
take the garden state or the 287 via the tappen zee i do that 95% of the time and u could easy travel at 70 mph and i avoid the pip at all cost.
You may drive down the PIP all you want with an ambulance. It’s when you do it with lights and sirens while driving over 30 miles an hour over the speed limit with no regard for other drivers on the road is the issue whether there is a critical medical emergency or not. Including when you are transporting diamonds in a emergency vehicle just to get through traffic without delay is also an issue.
It seems all it is bash, bash, bash the cops. No one ever wants to admit wrong doing. Are the cops quick to get you off the highway, maybe, but that could be your own wrong doing for the past abuse of courtesy that has been given. Funny how no matter what the offense, the cops are always wrong. I was doing 69 and he gave me ticket for 73, the RADAR must of been lying. I was only in the left lane for 2 miles with no other traffic on the highway not the 2.2 miles the officer said. Regardless of the law stating stay right, pass left.
Years and years of complaints yet the PIP is still there. Why don’t you attempt to work with them instead of bashing them. The police have S.O.P’s they must follow, which means if an accident occurs, call the local EMS unit. Just because a driver has you on speed dial doesn’t mean you have right to just show up and take over scene. Why don’t you have them call HQ’s and request you. That way when you call the desk you can be notified whether medical assitance has been called or not.
Instead of being part of the problem, sit down and be the resolution!!!!
No experience with the hostility others have stated (although I have heard horror stories). As others have said, there are a ton of police to support an 11 mile highway! that is a beaurocracy if i ever saw one. this moring alone, i was driving south from exit 5 past GWB and saw 4 (count them four) police cards. 2 giving out tickets, and 2 staking out new tartgets. I dont know about anyone else, but dont you seek to cut waste in your workplace and home? Dont duplicate efforts is a cardinal rule. how is it, they can have a $2.5 million budget and 25 members? that is blatant waste. State/County officers can and should do the patrols here just for the cost savings alone… Hello people!!!
Does anyone have emails or phone #’s as to where to write or call? I am willing to step up and fight.
The Palisades Interstate Parkway police dept and the Palisades Interstate Court are bunch of lowlifes runing a scam there. Why can’t anybody stop them? They should be DISBANDED.
Here is my story:
Got a speeding ticket at the end of May 2010. Was following traffic south bound and saw two cop cars chatting next to each at exit 1. Didn’t pay much attention because I was merely following the traffic. Then one of the cops came after me. Had a court date of June 22. Because my work is busy, I called court couple of days beforehand to reschedule and was told they can’t reschedule. Showed up in court at 3:00pm. The judge let the 5 or 6 attorneys go through all their cases first. Then three hours later, around 6:15pm, the court told us to talk to prosecutor. I told the prosecutor I was innocent and wanted to go trial. He was mad as hell and yelled at me: you’ll get 4 points and your insurance will go thru roof.
Have to make it in two posts because it’s quite long:
Then went back to court to wait for my trial. 20 minutes later, the prosecutor came in, took my court notice and another guy’s and told the judge something I didn’t hear. 10 minutes later, the judge called me and the other guy, saying the cop is not in today and they have to reschedule. I told him it’s hard for me to take a day off. Then he suggested me to talk to prosecutor and he has no time listening to me. so talked to prosecutor again, who suggested the same thing: amended the ticket to careless driving. Waited until 7:00pm for my turn again, the judge checked my driving record, which he said is perfect, and then gave me a “minimum” fine: $340 ($55 fine, $30 court fee and $250 insurance fee/surcharge). for the 4 hours I was waiting there, I didn’t see a single cop facing the defendant. they are all probably busy giving out tickets on the road, and most people are pressed by the prosecutor and took the deal and pleaded guilty anyway. so if this is your first time having a ticket and you have time to go to court once or twice, you should definitely fight for it.