Jackson, NJ police chief defends ‘difficult’ decision to ticket Jewish ambulance squad

🔴 Jackson police issued 14 tickets to Hatzolah volunteers, sparking claims of harassment.

🔴 Police Chief Matthew Kunz defended officers, saying all summonses were lawful.

🔴 Jackson has faced lawsuits over discrimination against Orthodox Jews.

JACKSON — The chief of police in this Ocean County community is receiving support from locals amid recent friction with a Jewish ambulance squad.

It's the latest example of religious tensions amid a surge in the Orthodox Jewish population in Ocean County.

Hatzolah Central Jersey volunteers were issued 14 tickets by Jackson police officers within a span of two weeks, the Lakewood Scoop reported.

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The Scoop's report calls it a "troubling pattern of harassment" against Hatzolah, which is Hebrew for "rescue."

But Chief Matthew Kunz is defending the Jackson police tickets. He says all of the traffic summonses were legal and proper.

Police chief defends Jackson officers

In a statement on Facebook, Chief Kunz responded to the Lakewood Scoop's report.

"Recently, Jackson Police Officers made the difficult but in their discretion necessary decision to issue traffic summons to members of the Hatzolah organization," Kunz said.

On Tuesday, Kunz said to New Jersey 101.5 that he's confident Hatzolah volunteers and Jackson police will continue to work together to serve the community.

New Jersey 101.5 has reached out to Hatzolah Central Jersey for comment.

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Heated reactions from Jackson residents

In the comments on Kunz's Facebook post, many people questioned why the decision to issue tickets to Hatzolah Central Jersey volunteers was "difficult."

And many comments — overtly or implicitly — said that Orthodox Jewish volunteers expected special treatment.

"Keep doing your job and don’t bend to Socially influential groups who think that New Jersey state law do not apply to them," one man said in a comment.

"I'm asking whomever I see speeding to please slow down, yes mostly Hebrew," another man said.

"Doing your job does not make you anti-Semitic. If others in our town followed that creed years ago, this town would be in a better place and a lot less building would be going on," one woman said.

Jackson’s past legal battles over discrimination

The comments echo sentiments that some non-Jewish residents in Jackson, Lakewood, and neighboring Ocean County towns have harbored as the Orthodox Jewish population has boomed.

In 2022, Jackson settled with the U.S. Justice Department after the town passed ordinances that prohibited religious schools and associated dormitories.

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Federal officials said the ordinances targeted the Orthodox Jewish community.

Jackson also agreed to pay $575,000 to the state over similar zoning and land-use laws.

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