Assembly members Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, Annette Quijano, Alixon Collazos-Gill, Gabriel Rodriguez, and Michael Venezia issued the following statement today on the federal Department of Justice’s lawsuit regarding their bill, A1743, better known as the “Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act.” The bill, signed into law earlier this year, requires law enforcement officers to reveal facial identity during certain public interactions and to present sufficient identification prior to arresting or detaining a person.
“We crafted and passed the Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act to safeguard both law enforcement officers at every level of government and the New Jersey residents they serve because public safety relies on trust. This law was written thoughtfully to protect our residents and includes exemptions for legitimate safety concerns for officers, but there is no excuse for what is taking place in our country today.
“When residents cannot distinguish between legitimate law enforcement and criminals pretending to be law enforcement, where does that leave us? How do we, as a society, corral the fear that inevitably follows when people no longer know who they can trust?
“We signed our names to this bill proudly because we believe the people entrusted with authority over others should be willing to stand behind their actions with that same level of accountability, and federal agents exercising power over the public should be expected to do the same.”