PBA card perks may be going away for good in New Jersey

🚨 Courtesy cards are giving dangerous drivers a free pass, a new report says

🚨 Videos show drivers using their "connections" to get out of a ticket

🚨 NJ officials are being advised to stop allowing these breaks

A man who was driving faster than 90 mph and admitted to having a couple drinks was sent on his way after presenting a card that suggested he was "best friends" with a police officer.

Police caught up to a driver going more than 100 mph, and then let her go after learning her dad's a lieutenant.

A driver committing a "laundry list" of offenses (the cop's words) and showing signs of impairment was free to go after indicating that he was a good friend with a high ranking law enforcement official.

SEE ALSO: NJ considering crackdown on license plate "flipping" devices

These instances, and many more, were captured on body-worn cameras by New Jersey State Police, and are included in a scathing new report from the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller, which suggests that favoritism plays a disturbingly strong role in policing.

"This kind of preferential treatment isn't just unfair, it's dangerous," Acting State Comptroller Kevin Walsh told reporters. "It undermines the idea that everyone should be treated equally under the law and puts everyone on the road at risk."

What the footage shows

The OSC report looked at footage of 501 New Jersey State Police traffic stops that resulted in no enforcement — stops that are rarely, if ever, looked at, because there's no ticket being challenged. The stops occurred over a period of 10 days in December 2022, involving a small number of troopers from all four State Police troops.

In nearly 28% of these stops, Walsh said, motorists were let go after flashing a law enforcement badge, claiming to have a friend or relative in law enforcement, or showing a courtesy card, aka a PBA card.

"In some cases, the trooper released the motorist immediately, offering some version of 'you’re good,'" OSC said in a press release. "The report found that courtesy cards are in wide usage and function as 'accepted currency' by state troopers."

In all but one case, the courtesy card was given back to the motorist, enabling the card to be used again, according to the report.

Not just a State Police issue

“Our investigation shows that some people are being given a free pass to violate serious traffic safety laws,” Walsh said. “Law enforcement decisions should never depend on who you know, your family connections, or donations to police unions."

Videos shared with the report also show preferential treatment given to active and retired members of the law enforcement community.

While the OSC analysis only covered NJSP stops, Walsh said it's believed these practices are prevalent in New Jersey law enforcement generally.

New Jersey 101.5 has reached out to the State Police for comment. According to OSC, response from NJSP on the report was very limited. The police force declined OSC's offer to have a representative interviewed, and when asked for comment on a draft of the report, it did not address the use of discretion during police stops, Walsh said.

The report includes 11 recommendations, including a directive that would explicitly prohibit cops from considering a card, badge, or law enforcement connection when determining whether to enforce an observed violation.

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