My name is Matt Dragon, I live in West Orange and I’m a State Committee Member for Our Revolution New Jersey. I’m writing in support of A1515 to establish strong, community-driven Citizen Complaint Review Boards (CCRBs) with subpoena and concurrent investigatory powers. I’d like to draw your attention to Paterson, where the police have been taken over by Attorney General Platkin, Trenton, where the DOJ is investigating the police, and Newark, where the police are under a DOJ consent decree. Is that what a system that is working looks like? How many more people have to be killed by the police before our Legislators, you and your peers, recognize the simple fact that the police are not unique and should be under civilian oversight like every other part of our government?

In 2008 in Newark, a group of five officers, including Rod Simpkins, stopped a car with a youth football coach and two of his players inside. During the interaction which included pulling everyone from the car and searching them and the vehicle, they told the coach and players: “you have no f-ing rights...we’re the cops, we do whatever we f-ing want.” The search yielded nothing.1

13 years later in January 2021, Simpkins literally ran into Carl Dorsey in the street, turned, pointed his weapon, and fired a single fatal shot, striking the unarmed Dorsey as his momentum carried him away from Simpkins. Carl Dorsey could still be alive today if a strong CCRB existed any time between 2008 and 2021.2

Many will acknowledge the Newark Police have gotten better since 2008, maybe even since 2021. But consider this encounter from 2023. Following a police chase, Raul DeJesus is spotted alone, laying face down on the ground, barely moving, gasping for air. In the span of 20 seconds several different officers scream the following at him, often yelling over one another or screaming contradictory commands:3

• “Don’t you f-ing reach for [s-word]”

• “Show me your f-ing hands”

• “Show me your hands right now”

• “Don’t you move”

• “Don't you move for [s-word]”

• “Don't you move or you’re f-ing dead”

• “You move, you’re dead”

These are just well known examples from one city. This is happening all over the state. As we learned in the Comptroller's report, police departments are paying for trainers who teach exactly this kind of aggressive, violent, and often illegal behavior.4

The police cannot police themselves, so we need you to move forward on strong CCRBs.
For Hasani Best.
For Amir Johnson.
For Gulia Dale III.
For Carl Dorsey.
For Felix DeJesus.
For Bernard Placide Jr.
For Najee Seabrooks.
For Andrew Jerome Washington III.

We need strong CCRBs because, “You have no fucking rights... we’re the cops, we do whatever we fucking want.”

Thank you.

Subscribe now