By Claude Brodesser-Akner | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "No I'm not," Turner said. For more information about our use of cookies, our collection, use, and disclosure of personal information generally, and any rights you may have to access, delete, or opt out of the sale of your personal information, please view our, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The second officer looks on, a look of bemused bafflement on his face. Caren Turner, the former chairman of the Port Authority's Governance and Ethics Committee, belittled the Tenafly officers who pulled over the driver of a Toyota Corolla with Nevada plates, which was carrying three passengers, includingTurner's adultdaughter, over Easter weekend. No really, her name is actually Caren with a C. Caren Turner, to be precise. She told to NJ.com that my daughter was in the car with her three friends when a police officer pulled over the car. Turner begins to complain that the officers have a duty to tell her what charges have been brought against the driver of the vehicle. ", In the first of a number of "Oh, no she didn't oh, yes she did" moments, she then displays her gold Port Authority badge, which appears to be every bit as shiny and useless asCommissioner Gordon's badge in "Batman. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey sought to make one thing abundantly clear on Thursday: Despite former Commissioner Caren Turner's misbehavior, the agency has come a long way since . Police dash cam video shows Port Authority commissioner Caren Z. Turner ranting at two Tenafly police officers, You may shut the f up!, Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. No one answered the door at her listed home address. According to the agency report, she resigned from the post after deep thinking and an internal investigation. Turner was apparently called to the site of the traffic stop to pick up her daughter and her friends. The board also approved a referral of the matter to the New Jersey State Ethics Commission. "You may not tell me when to take my child," said Turner. Turner asks, apparently referring to Tenafly police traffic officer Louis Smaragdakis. A police dashcam video which has gone viral shows Turner, who lives in Tenafly, arriving in her own vehicle just as police were finishing up ticketing the driver for violations that included. Postscript: Official misconduct charges for Turner? The car is owned by the parents of the driver's girlfriend, who was also in the car, and the officer explains to the driver that the car has been unregistered for two years: "We can't have an unregistered car that's operating on the street. In March 2017, Turner began a six-year unpaid term on the Board of Commissioners of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, [3] [20] after New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg recommended her, Governor Chris Christie nominated her, and the New Jersey State Senate approved. Turner now threatens to speak not just to the chief of police, but to the mayor of Tenafly, Peter Rustin, as well. We'll go to (Mayor) Rustin.". Police called a tow truck to impound the car and issued several summonses to the driver. If she wasn't happy with what she was being told she should go to court." ", Turner resigned Monday when she learned she was being investigated by the Port Authority board. Police dashcam video of the incident went viral nationally. We will not go back to the way it was.. "She" is Caren Z. Turner, who abruptly resigned on Monday as the Port Authority said that it was investigating allegations that she'd violated the board's code of ethics. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. "There's a problem with you describing it because you don't feel confident why these people are being pulled over," Turner says. The video has since gone viral as an emblem of white, upper-class privilege. No one answered the door at her listed home address. Moment Eleven: 'It's not they. Anyone can read what you share. The Port also says its considering eliminating the issuance of law enforcement-style badges to Port Authority commissioners to prevent this sort of abuse. ", Then she turns to the other officer, "And you are just following him. Finally, she begins to berate the officers. Moment Six: 'I am a commissioner of the Port Authority.'. Big mistake. I did not violate the Code and Conduct of the Port Authority in any way. After her tirade with Tenafly police, former Port Authority commissioner Caren Turner went to the Tenafly police headquarters to ask about the impounded car. Caren Z. Turner, a Democratic lobbyist, has been flogged for days on social media for berating police officers in New Jersey in a video that went viral. "Let's hear -- why were they pulled over, first of all?" You must understand the nature of our work, you can read out the report about them and let us do our work. Caren Z. Turner, a now-ex-Commissioner for the Port Authority inserted herself into a routine traffic stop involving her daughter, and in the process behaved so obnoxiously towards Tenafly police . It's notthem.". and Yale. One of the officers said its a ridiculous way to talk and behave with us. ", She responds, "Yeah, I work with 4,000 of them. She has already worked on the finance committee of Hillary Clinton and her partner Jon Corzine. Caren Turner, who is a Port Authority commissioner refused of wrongdoing by crying. "You may tell me nothing.". Tenafly Police Chief Robert Chamberlaintold NJ.comhe would let the video speak for itself. "You may not tell me when to take my child. Hudson County Freeholder Bill ODea also used a police-style badge to pull over a driver during a traffic dispute, telling the driver the police work for me, according to The Jersey Journal. Unethical and even criminal wrongdoing by past Port Authority leaders has badly damaged the agencys reputation, said Kevin OToole, the bi-state agencys new chairman, reading from a resolution that ultimately won unanimous board approval. Ms. Turner had abruptly resigned from her Port Authority seat last week after the video surfaced, making the public censure largely symbolic. In deep trouble, I reached there to pick them up. "Trust me, I will be in with the police commissioner of Tenafly," warns Turner. "You may shut the f--- up and not tell me when I may take my kid and her friends, who are Ph.D. students from MIT and Yale. Graduates of Yale University around the world, already having to deal with the fact that everyone thinks they are snobs, let out a collective groan. I'm 'Commissioner.' Shame on both of you. Police never brought her to trial for any wrongdoing. Twenty seconds after arriving, Caren Turner has identified herself by name. A lot better for [the Port Authority] to be taking action than reacting to that mess., At the Ports monthly board meeting on Thursday, OToole and his colleague repeatedly excoriated Turners conduct, describing it as deplorable and saying it clearly and unambiguously violated the Code of Ethics for Port Authority commissioners, in multiple ways.. Caren Turner's behavior in the video is now officially branded outrageous and indefensible by her former colleagues on the Port Authority board, which unanimously voted to publicly censure her. The officer tells her, "I just don't appreciate your demeanor. Her daughter had called Turner to pick her up along with several friends after the car in which they were riding was impounded. The traffic stop stemmed from side tinted windows -- which are not legal in New Jersey -- and a partially obscured license plate. Turner, who led the Port Authoritys ethics committee, resigned from the agency in April after its leadership learned of the incident. (Does she also know Angelina Jolie? The Port Authority oversees airports, bridges, tunnels and rail facilities across the region. Moment Fourteen: 'I will be speaking to the chief of police.'. The tense exchange continues for several minutes. "That's fine. yet before even greeting anyone or identifying herself as a Commissioner at the Port Authority, Turner demands to know what's going on. Andrew Cuomo, Horwitz used to chair the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics. ", The officer reiterates that she can ask the driver of the vehicle herself why the car was pulled over. The resolution commends the officers, stating that they "deserve the admiration of the public for their extraordinary professionalism, and for a job well done. The Tenafly. "Well, I'm just telling you who I am," answers Turner. My resignation from the Port Authority is a recognition that this unfortunate incident could and should have been avoided.". Turner continued boasting about her position, when a police officer said this car was not registered then she said tell me first why you pulled my daughters friend. "Your daughter was very nice as well," said the officer. All rights reserved. At one point in the video, she instructed the police officers to address her as commissioner.. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). If someone had one called an Uber, none of what happened next ever would have happened. Caren Turner, who led the Port Authoritys ethics committee, resigned from the agency in April after its leadership learned of the badge incident. (They do not.). OToole plans to meet with the officers on Friday. There is no need for municipal and state officials to carry such badges; it opens the door for officials to abuse their badges and their power. Moment Nine: 'I will be in with the police commissioner'. ", But the officer continues, "You don't seem like a very big police supporter, I don't know. This isn't going to go down like this. ), Turner then rounds out her litany of insults with, "You're an ass.You're not a nice person. "I've got all your information, sweetheart," responds Turner, "I know Sikoryak" apparently dropping another name, that of Tenafly Police dispatcher, George Sikoryak. Turner, in the statement also encouraged the Tenafly Police Department to review best practices with respect to tone and de-escalation, so that incidents like this do not recur.. ", She then accuses Officer Savitsky of enjoying their inconvenience because of "a smug-ass look on your faceand it seems to please you.". The officer responds, "Your daughter is not being summoned. For more information about our use of cookies, our collection, use, and disclosure of personal information generally, and any rights you may have to access, delete, or opt out of the sale of your personal information, please view our Privacy Policy. Phil Murphy, New York would have to pass an identical measure for the law to apply to the bi-state agency. ', Less than a minute into the Tenafly Police dashcam video, the police officer is heard saying, "Alright, so you guys are all set.". Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Gov. Ms. Turner, like Mr. OToole, was appointed to the board by the previous governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, a Republican. Turner shouted an expletive at the officers when she was told that she may take the group from the car away. The former Republican New Jersey Gov. Then Turner threatened them by using her relations with the mayor and chief of police. NEW YORK --In a sharp rebuke of a former commissioner forced to resign over an obscenity-laced tirade caught on video during a routine police traffic stop, Port Authority officials publicly. An appointee of New York Gov. A spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement to News 4, "The Board takes its recently adopted Code of Ethics for Commissioners extremely seriously Commissioner Turners resignation was appropriate given her outrageous conduct.". We use cookies to better understand website visitors, for advertising, and to offer you a better experience. Tenafly Police /Storyful . "You know what, Matt? Caren Z. Turner abruptly resigned on Monday as the Port Authority said that it was investigating allegations that she'd violated the board's code of ethics. TENAFLY, N.J. -- A Port Authority of New York and New Jersey commissioner who abruptly resigned last week was caught on camera cursing at two police officers during a traffic stop. Turner, a Democratic lobbyist and, until recently, a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey board member, became an unwitting YouTube star when, on March 31, she rolled up on a. The bill, NJ S2858, is also sponsored by Weinberg, who championed Turners nomination to the Port Authority. You may tell me nothing.". Caren Turner (right) issued the statement Wednesday, a day after the Tenafly Police Department released the dash-cam video showing her outburst In her statement, Turner apologizes for letting. She said, I have noted your name and you would face my enmity. There was not any charge against her for her wrongdoing. 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