NJ State Trooper stops his boss on Turnpike

[JerseyBoy]

State trooper stops his boss on Turnpike

08/18/01

BY KATHY BARRETT CARTER
STAR-LEDGER STAFF


State Police Superintendent Carson Dunbar concedes he may have been speeding when a state trooper stopped him on the New Jersey Turnpike on Monday.


But the State Police colonel said he doesn't know for sure because the trooper quietly returned to his car after realizing he had pulled over the boss.


Dunbar said he was behind the wheel of a blue state-issued minivan when a trooper in an unmarked car signaled for him to pull over as he was traveling south on the Turnpike near Newark Airport. His assistant, Matthew Carroll, was in the passenger seat.


The superintendent said he pulled onto the shoulder of the road and the trooper stopped, got out of his car, approached the minivan, and gave his name.


Dunbar said the trooper then realized whom he had stopped, and, without uttering another word, turned around and left. The trooper did not write a ticket or issue a warning, Dunbar confirmed.


"I should kick myself for not being more attentive," said Dunbar. "I wish I was given a ticket if I was doing something wrong."


Dunbar said he does not know for certain whether he was speeding but conceded that was possible because he was not paying attention to his speedometer.


He refused to divulge the identity of the trooper who stopped him but said he did not know the trooper. He also said he believes the trooper complied with all State Police rules for stopping motorists -- rules Dunbar has toughened in his quest to eradicate racial profiling.


"If anybody is responsible. I am responsible," said Dunbar. "I cannot be perfect."


The stop was captured on videotape, Dunbar said, and there may be radar data to show if he was indeed speeding. The superintendent referred the incident to the Office of State Police Affairs in the Attorney General's Office for review, according to Roger Shatzkin, spokesman for the attorney general. The office investigates complaints involving those at the rank of captain and above; the review will attempt to determine if the trooper and Dunbar acted properly.


Ed Lennon, president of the state troopers union, said he thought the trooper who made the stop was "absolutely right" in not writing Dunbar a ticket.


"I don't expect any trooper to write another trooper a ticket and I make no apology for that," Lennon said. "We take care of our own within the realm of discretion. If it is something criminal, it's another story."


Dunbar, however, suggested some within the State Police are spreading word of his traffic stop as part of a campaign to make his remaining time in Trenton "miserable" and undermine his reforms.


"There has been a lot of change in this organization and some people don't like it," said Dunbar. "No matter what I do, the rebels amongst us want me gone in the worst way. I will not wilt."


Lennon said while some troopers do want Dunbar out, he is unsure how widespread that feeling is among the force.


Dunbar is not the first colonel of the State Police to concede he may have traveled in the fast lane.


At his confirmation hearing in 1990, Justin Dintino, who served under Gov. Jim Florio, admitted he put his cruise control on 65 mph even though the speed limit then was 55 mph.


"If you go 55, a tractor-trailer's going to run up your back," Dintino said at the time.

[Housecop]

This one seems a bit fishy on the troopers part. You would think the trooper would say something? I wonder how the media will spin it from here?

[CustomsCop]

I dont think you will see much come out of it. The trooper used discretion but as we all know the media and the J@ckels they are have already been all over this.

[DelC]

The Trooper should have issued a warning citation. Thus, I think there would be less flack about the whole thing. Wonder how and why it came become public knowledge?

[q]

Who leaked this one?? Looks like business as usual in NJ...More ammunition for the media to start slamming NJ Troopers again. It will be interesting to see if this incident is blown out of proportion any more than it is already...

[Housecop]

I would bet that Dunbar himself was the first to mention it at a new conference or a media gathering. I don't know for sure, but I could see him saying it.

[CustomsCop]

Dunbar was the first to say it at a luncheon I belive.

[q]

Thats interesting....the article seemed to put a 'shady' tone to the story.

[Jason22]

Definitly think the Trooper should have issued a Warning, it would have looked etter especially with the story that was given, "he just walked away". Come on, warnings mean nothing, if anything I would have thought he would have told him what he was pulled over for and at least had a laugh with the Boss. Definilty not a good one to leak either, people may not take it the right way, especially if they've recieved tickets from Troopers.

[JSavage]

without oponing the "should the police 'police' the police " can of worms again, I don't think the guy should have gotten even a warning unless he was going way over. In hind sight though, I would have given him every ticket I could have, if I'd known he was going to run his lips. The media has taken enough "Artistic License" with the way they report things against the police, they don't need the benifit of the Superintendant of the State Police telling everyone how he didn't get a ticket.

Just stupid.........

[Gar]

I don’t think he should have issued Dunbar a speeding ticket or a warning ticket. Not only is he one of your own from the same agency, but also how are you going to reprimand your boss? It’s easy to talk big stuff from behind your computer. :)

The Trooper shouldn’t have just walked away however. That was foolish. Verbally acknowledging whom is and telling him to slow down a little was all that was needed in this situation (I doubt if the State Police Superintendent was recklessly speeding). This accomplishes two things. It lets him know you are on the job (you pulled over the State Police Superintendent for speeding) and you have some common sense.

I don’t think the media really cares that a Trooper didn’t give the State Police Superintendent a ticket. They are harping over the fact that “he just walked away” That gives them cannon fodder they need to support their accusations of the good old boy network happening in the NJSP.



LOL this is like a NYPD patrol cop pulling over Kerik and giving him a speeding ticket. It’s just not going to happen.

[JSavage]

What ? Don't confuse the troopers actions with those of Dunbar. Dunbar is the one that brought the media into this by not keeping his mouth shut about it. If there is a "good ole boys" network in NJ, Dunbar is OBVIOUSLY not a member. I can't understand what he had to gain by opening this up. This simply makes the NJSP look bad as a whole.

And yes, I've put my own boss in jail before, someone has to repremand the leaders; when left unchecked they can start to believe they're above the law.

[Gar]

“And yes, I've put my own boss in jail before, someone has to repremand the leaders; when left unchecked they can start to believe they're above the law.”- JSavage

JSavage,

I understand what you are saying and I agree with you to a point, but that type of attitude is typically reserved for more criminal things than going 65 in a 55 zone. That’s just my opinion.

Also please explain about you putting your boss in jail. I know I’m not the only one that is intrigue by that.

[JSavage]

A couple of years back, I was working as a store detective in an un-named but very nation wide retail store. Our structure was such that I worked for a Loss Prevention Manager who worked for the Loss Prevention District Manager... the rest of the chain of command is unimportant. One evening I was working at a store that was also the District Office. I was working a surveillance via wireless "chip" camera watching the electronics associate; she was suspected of removing cash from her register. I was doing this on the authority of the LPM without the knowledge of, or the need to inform the LPDM. As I watched I saw the LPDM enter the electronics department. After a minute or so, the electronics associate left and I witnessed the LPDM use a register key to open the register, remove money, and close the register. I almost suffocated before I realized what had just happened. I left my office and met him at the front door with another detective. I asked him to come to the office with me. He refused and told me to pack my things and leave, I was fired. As he tried to push past me, I grabbed him and reached for my cuffs. He swung and smacked me in the nose with his brief case. At that point I reached for my ASP, and my partner pulled out the OC. He got him with the OC first and we got a set of cuffs on him. When the police arrived, he was searched and they recovered $1900.00. This figure matched the amount that was missing from the register. He as in turn charged and convicted of grand larceny. While being investigated, they also found nearlly $42,000.00 in stolen store merchandise at his home.

I didn't physically put him in jail, and the circumstances are very different thatn the thread starter, but many people questioned my authority to apprehend my boss, and I soon found it prudent to seek other employment. I say, everyone has to answer for what they do. Who else is going to police the highest ranking law enforcement officer in that state?

Though, I reiterate I would not have cited him. My hind sight wish to write him up is purely retaliatory and in no way reflects my real life beliefs. But, let me see him going 30 over....

[FedAgent]

Everybody hold your horses about Col. Dunbar "running his mouth" for just a minute. I don't know him nor do I know the trooper. I do know that I once patrolled in a '94 Crown Vic with $4,500.00 worth of radar interfaced eyewitness video/remote audio with auto activation upon turning on the blue lights. And guess what happened when my tape ran out? I had to call a supervisor to meet me with another; and he had to unlock the VCR in my trunk, change them out and log in the used one. The shift commanders and supervisors were the only ones with a key. The chief would randomly review officers' tapes to determine integrity, conduct and driving habits. So I'm thinking maybe NJSP does the same with their dash-cams, I don't know. But after all the racial profiling controversy it would only make sense to me. And after The Colonel was stopped and the trooper realized it, he called his Corporal or even the Sergeant (station commander) and told them. The supervisor took the tape back to the station, popped it in the VCR and maybe there were a few laughs then Trenton heard about it from the station commander. Just a hunch 'cause I can't imagine any reason for the Colonel to bring it to public attention on his own...

Stay safe!