Assemblywoman treated like everyone else in NJ — Like a criminal

My partner Judi wrote a very funny post on why Assemblywoman Rodriguez-Gregg deserves a punch in the face. The list is hysterical and mostly true.

She should have acted more professionally and not used all of the profanity and excuses (especially the gender and ethnic stuff). Puh leeze! She could have avoided all of this if she just controlled herself a little bit.

However, there are certain townships in this state where they seem to smell marijuana wherever they go. When my kids were living at home anytime they were pulled over, that's what they heard. "I smell marijuana."

I've always had a very open line of communication with my kids and I know they don't smoke weed. Sometimes I wish they would, of course never when driving. They were raised in the same area the assemblywoman was pulled over.

We would always caution them about getting pulled over in the "three M's". Marlton, Medford and Mt. Laurel.

Ask anyone who lives there, especially if they have had young drivers in their home. It seemed like an obsession with them that anytime me or my kids were pulled over the smell of marijuana was brought up.

I smoke cigars and my car usually smells like cigars. I haven't smelled weed in years, but I do know what it smells like. I know what cigarettes smell like. I know what cigars smell like. I know what it smells like if someone's been sitting by an outdoor fire all night. None of them smell like weed. It seems to be some kind of entry into figuring out a way to "getcha" in a traffic stop.

This woman was just rear-ended in an accident. Yes, she was inappropriate and wrong, but she also didn't have weed. They also found that she did have a cigar. It wasn't about her ethnicity or any of that other nonsense. The young cops were very polite to her, maybe because she is very pretty, or maybe because they are just polite.

I say if she were more sensible, this wouldn't have happened. But to me there is an overall approach that is wrong-minded and needs to change. It's like they're always looking to upgrade the interaction into some greater crime. Like up-selling the appetizers at Applebee's.

The more arrests, the faster you move up in the ranks. But at what cost? Many people mistrust the police today. Not just young people. Not just in minority communities. A lot of people. That's troubling to me.

We need to trust and respect law enforcement. I still do, but not blindly. And when you have young men with barely the life experience to figure out how to apply for a mortgage, it gives you pause to think they have your life in their hands whenever you get pulled over.

Maybe we need a minimum age for cops. How about 30 or 35 like the presidency? You know who agrees with me? Veteran cops. I think most people would agree that we need to respect law enforcement and treat them accordingly when we're in contact with them.

And in the big picture, we deserve the same. I smell something wrong with our whole approach to police stops. Or is that marijuana? Step away from your computer, sir or ma'am.

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Dennis & Judi are on the air weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tweet them @DennisandJudi or @NJ1015.