State Troopers were right to throw out protester (Opinion)

On Monday at a legislative hearing in Trenton, radical activist Sue Altman was tossed out of the room by several New Jersey State Troopers. Altman and her cohorts with the Working Families Alliance were protesting loudly and disrupting the proceedings while NJ powerbroker George Norcross was testifying.

You could argue that the Senate committee was a bit aggressive wanting the protestors removed, you could also argue that a hearing room is no place for loud chants and disruptive behavior. Regardless of the issue, and you know where I stand on the Norcross issue, this guy is getting richer on the backs of the taxpayers with very little benefit to real working and middle class families in our state. That said, the Troopers tasked with removing the protestor get stuck in the middle.

Thankfully the Troopers are discipled, well trained professionals who do their job. And they did. Sue appears to trip leading to her fall while being escorted out, but the troopers did not get overly aggressive and handled the task with diligence and care.

Congrats to them and to their union leader, Pete Stilianessis. Pete joined me on the air this morning to talk about the serious issues facing Troopers in our state and law enforcement in general. Too often politicians say that they "have your back" when in fact they are working behind the scenes to block contracts, reduce health benefits and other wise try to balance budgets on the backs of LEOs.

How can The Murphy Administration justify not stepping up to the plate for cops while the elite insiders and the politically connected continue to get rich on the backs of taxpayers? The Governor should exercise some leadership and stand up for what he campaigned on by doing right by our brave State Troopers.

Enough with using cops as a social experiment for radical policies. Enough of the lack of cooperation forced by the AG's office endangering our communities and our cops. Enough talk. Time for action. Stand with cops and stand with the brace members of the State Troopers NCO Association.

As a former Marine and dedicated supporter of police everywhere, I'm proud to call NCO Union President Pete Stilianessis a friend. I know many troopers feel the same way and know how fortunate they are to have such an aggressive advocate for their interests. Remember, there's a thin line between civilization and savagery...and that line is Blue.

Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015. Tweet him @NJ1015 or @BillSpadea. The opinions expressed here are solely those of Bill Spadea.

More from New Jersey 101.5: