go Pooper. +1

Don't argue with cops. You were wrong but you argued that a bunch of non-terrorist looking people (?) should be treated with kid gloves with open containers of beer in a state park. You broke the law. You pissed off the cop. Get over yourself and pay the damn ticket.

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Completely disagree with your arrogant response. If a Starbucks barista can deal with dozens of idiots per hour and remain pleasant, then a park cop, who probably has one difficult situation a month, can talk to people decently. We should demand more from the police that serve us.

So, you broke the open container law that every person over the age of 12 knows. Then you were a wiseass to the cops claiming all the beers were yours. And now you come to complain about a stern warning and a minor ticket?

Get over yourself and your respectable family.

That park has such a potential to harbor some seriously bad elements yet I've rarely seen a problem there. I'm glad the cops gave you a hard time frankly. You were willfully ignorant and giving them a hard time.

And on the tangent this conversation has taken.... yes, half the cops you will meet are uneducated goons. So what? Don't break the law and you don't have to deal with them you entitled idiot.

Just a general comment/observation.

I have a lot higher respect for firefighters than cops. Firefighters risk their lives by going into burning buildings to save people's lives, and the only reason that they do that is because they genuinely want to help people.

Sure, cops do risk their lives too, I know, but what kind of people want to become a cop? I've heard a cop say, "I've found the perfect balance between helping people and hurting people". I find that chilling.

Also, cops do not appear to be very intelligent. There are exceptions, of course, but almost all cops whom I have had a chance to have a brief conversation, revealed just a little higher intelligence than people with mental disability who work at Walmart.

Atsushi

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Let's stay focused on state park police and not go throwing in every law enforcement agency in the city or lumping all the law enforcement agencies serving JC together. The city has no control over NJ State Park Police. And let's not confuse NJ State Park Police with US ParK Police that are stationed at Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty)

For police, arrogance and stupidity go hand in hand. THey are poorly trained.

Somebody once told me that I should think of every cop as that bully in class who was too stupid to get into college. I doubt that their obvious use of steroids helps their personalities.

Compare Jersey City cops with NYPD and you see night and day...so it's probably rotten training here.

They are afraid of REAL criminals in Jersey City, and like all bullies with badges, look for easy marks to intimidate instead.

The City would be better off and certainly wealthier if every one of them was fired.

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First of all, police in NJ are not allowed to carry TASERs. Second, although I disagree with how the situation was handled, you did break the law. It is up to the officer's discretion as to how he/she will deal with it - verbal warning, written warning, ticket, or arrest. You did unknowingly break the law and you admit it, but don't be upset with officers enforcing the law, only the way they handled the situation.

No everyone is not a potential terrorist, though everyone is a potential threat. But the officer needs to read the situation and address it properly. Law enforcement on any level is difficult enough.

And no this will not become an oppressive police state because of an overzealous officer. Every state, agency, department, etc. has some of these.

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State Park Police are not local police and go through the same program as state troopers

I believe the new chief of the state park police is a former NJ state trooper. Hence the change in title for a lot of people from park ranger (law enforcement) to park police.

Here are the contacts for NJ State Park Police, NJ Parks, and NJ DEP:

Headquarters
New Jersey State Park Police
501 East State Street ? 4th Floor
CN 404
Trenton , New Jersey 08625
(609) 292-4744
Fax: (609) 633-7594
Director Richard H. Arroyo, State Park Police
Chief James Hanebury, Chief, State Park Police
Christina Samayoa, Assistant to the Director
Lieutenant Roy Wells, Administrative Lieutenant, State Park Police
Sgt. Paul Lynch, Operations/Administrative Sergeant, State Park Police

District 2 (Liberty State Park is in District 2)
1451 Highway 22 East
Annadale, NJ 08801
(908) 236-2043
(908) 236-2264
Fax (908) 236-7039
Region Commander:
Lieutenant Scott Klinder
Assistant District Commander:
Sgt. Bryan Behan

NJ Park Law Enforcement Regional Offices
Northern Region
20 Route 23
Franklin, NJ 07416
Lieutenant: Scott Klinder
973-827-6200
Fax Number: 973-209-8730

Liberty State Park
200 Morris Pesin Drive
Jersey City, NJ 07305
(201) 915-3401
Fax (201) 915-3408
Area Sergeant: George Pearce (is this the same "police chief" you spoke with?

NJ Division of Parks and Forestry
Director
PO Box 404
501 East State Street, 4th floor
Trenton, NJ 08625-0404

And you could write to the head of NJ DEP which oversees Parks and Forestry
Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello
NJ Parks and Forests:
401 E. State St.
7th Floor, East Wing
P.O. Box 402
Trenton, NJ 08625-0402

I was sitting on a bench with my girlfriend in that park by the Colgate Clock one summer night around 10:15pm. Apparently the "park" closes at 10pm. I had no clue. These two officers came up behind us, shined two flashlights in our eyes, and began questioning us in an extremely aggressive manner. They were acting as if we were doing something suspicious like pacing back and forth with a large package inside a subway stop or something. I had to show the officer my license and explain why I accidentally ?broke the law?. They then escorted us out of the park (literally). As we left I saw them spot another couple enjoying a walk in the park and they went off to reprimand them as well. A simple, ?Hey guys, the park is closed?, would have sufficed. Total d-bags.

Actually, if you think the park police are bad, good luck dealing with the JCPD. They're the most arrogant cops I've ever encountered. They really need to take a step back and realize who's paying their salary. I have more respect for rent-a-cops at the mall. It?s so refreshing when you deal with a state trooper. They?re very stern, but at least fair and professional. Let?s face it though, local cops aren?t qualified to be Troopers, that?s why they?re local cops. You just have to tolerate their nonsense, or if they really cross the line, contact internal affairs.

I never contested the rule and happily complied, and had no problem paying the ticket. I was upset with the officer's unnecessary aggressive conduct. Policeman are public servants and must be courtious and fair at the least. And we, as a publi, must demand it from them all the time. Next time they will tazer someone for the same thing, then what?!

The Police need to concentrate on catching bad guys, not respectable families with small children.

The Park Police are strict on alcohol in LSP, and so they should be. I think you were lucky getting a 75 dollar ticket. I would just pay it and forget about it. Not knowing about the rules of no alcohol in the park is not a good enough excuse.

Did anybody else had a bad experience with Liberty State Park police lately?

On September 16, I was throwing a birthday party at the Park playground for my 4 year old son, his friends and their parents. I have reserved my spot with the Park Office and had the permit displayed at the area. Everything was going great: i set up the balloons and 2 tents, games, snacks and pizzas, goody bags, birthday cake you name it. We had about 25 kids and 20 adults in total. Everyone was having a good time, until 2 Park Police cars pulled up to our area. The officer on duty came out and immediately singled a mother of one of the children. She was sitting at the table and had an open beer bottle next to her. He really got in her face, demanding to know if the beer was hers. She looked terrified and intimidated, so i stepped in and said the beer was mine. He told me i was lying and demanded to know who all the open beers belonged to. I told him they were all mine (i was really embarrassed by the whole situation and was trying to keep other parents out of it). I explained that we didn't know, we were not allowed to have them and that i would happily throw them away and remove the unopened bottles to the car, but it seems he was out for blood. I pointed out that this was a kids birthday party and all the adults were responsible parents, not thugs. I was pleading for him to stop being so aggressive and he told me that, if i said another word he would arrest me and disband the whole event. At this point my wife pulled me away and tried to reason with him, but he was completely unsympathetic. First he collected everyone's driver's licenses to issue summons. The parents were all upset and the kids were very confused by what was happening. After checking everyone's licenses in his system, he returned all of them, except my wife's who he issued a $75 dollar ticket. Then the police left, but the party was kinda ruined :(.

We didn't know the no-alcohol rule in the park, but we were happy to comply with it. There was no reason for the police aggressive and belligirent behaviour. He should've used his judgement and realised that we were not a threat to the public, and politelly asked us to remove the beers. Instead he terrified half of us and totally abused his power.

My wife and other parents complained to the Park Chief about it, and i just received a letter from him stating, that his investigation concluded that we were uncooperative and deceiving which caused the officer to become firm with us. In other word we were wrong and he was right. I'm so upset about it, that i will be gathering signatures of everyone in that party and sending letters to various local government agencies asking to investigate this matter further. Any advice on how to handle this, or who to write is greatly appreaciated.

Did anyone have any similar experience? Please let us
know.

PS I have noticed that the police is getting more aggressive and forcefull out there. What is going on!?!? Do they think that everyone is a potential terrorist. We must resist this at all costs, or we will wake up one day in oppressive police state.