I am a Citizen of the United States and have been living in New Jersey for more then four years. I am working as Software Engineer for mid-size company in Leonia. I have moved to Leonia over a year ago from Fort Lee.in my new city of residence I have noticed multiple acts of impunity committed by the police authorities of that town.
My personal impression is that the local police is more preoccupied with reinforcing the law among some ethnical communities rather than the other, jeopardizing the overall safety in their desire to exercise their power in relation to the disliked' by them ethnical groups, favoring some people over the others.
I feel that there shouldn't be place for the bias mood swings among the police officers as well as the local officials for that matter, because all those prejudices throw a negative shadow on all local government and cause the emotional distress among the population.
Since, filing any kind of civil action suites against the bias and discriminative actions is viewed, by most people, as an expensive waist of time and money, it is very understandable why a lot of cases of police misconduct are hidden from the public's eyes.
Whatever the nature of a complaint; whatever court it may be filed in, a legal action against the city of Leonia has little chance if any to reach a trial stage. And it's not all. If you decide to bring legal action against local authorities, beware they will be on the road after you.
I would like to use my personal experience to demonstrate that. All of this happened during one year to my family and myself. But so much people out there in Leonia, who are suffering damages and having emotional distress, because of Police corruption.
One evening, my wife and me wore driving back home. Ten meters from my driveway I have noticed a construction sign and roadblock. I have stopped on the intersection after white Honda, observing police officers allowing the mentioned car to pass the roadblock so to make a turn into private parking lot.
I have followed to the road intersection to ask the police office to allow me to pass to my parking lot, noticing that none of the construction work has been started in the 2 blocks radius to my driveway. I have kindly mentioned to the officer that my driveway is twenty yards from roadblock and I need to park my car and get home while it's save to pass.
Police officer refused to let me in. To get an independent opinion I have asked the construction worker in front of the police officer whether the block of the street on which my driveway was located was safe to enter.
He replied that it was safe and there should be approximately 45 minutes till any kind of work will start happening on that part of the street. Once again I have asked the police officer to let me drive to my driveway, backing up my words by the construction worker argument, especially since I felt that neighborhood is not safe for street parking.
I have come to that conclusion two days ago when, as a result of the similar construction activity I was late to access my driveway before it was closed for the construction and I had to park my car on the street.
When an hour later I went outside to grab a pack of cigarettes from my car from a distance I noticed some fellow being kneeled and doing something with the wheels of my car. When he saw me approaching he ran away. I examined my car and parked it on the different block.
Since I was persistent in my request the office this time decided to demonstrate it its authority. He said: you are going to park on the street and with abusive attitude searched my car. He gave me tree traffic tickets and told me get out of here.
My wife and me felt very offended by police officer attitude. When I asked police officer for his name and approached him with the piece of paper to write down his badge number, he threatened to put me in jail. According to his beliefs a night spent in jail will cool me off and make me re-examine my actions that is me questioning the actions of the police and asking for his name.
My and my wife felt very offended and scared, and started parking the car on the side of the curb pointed by the police officer. Some of the officers that arrived to that intersection have been laughing I guess finding that whole scene very funny and entertaining.
The next morning I find out that my car had a rear end dent which is going to cost me $250 to get fixed.
After all that happened, I start making complains. There is a lot of crime going on in our community police is not capable (or doesn't have a desire) to put a stop on; however, they are always there for you' to threaten, discriminate you against your origin or to write you a ticket for a non-traffic violation.
Seemed to me that writing tickets is the only job they can do. I have written a few complaint letters to the New Jersey government and New Jersey Supreme Court, in hope that one day this nightmare will come to an end.
Going back to the officer, who was smiling while, his partner was harassing my wife and me. He and his partner now are haunting me on the local roads like hunter hunting a deer.
That is what you get for a freedom of speech against local police authorities. One day he was shadowing my car for a four blocks from my home to my work. The other day he was following my car from my work to my home. I make the right turn, he goes right. If I am making the left turn, he is turning left as well. I am driving straight and he goes straight.
By now I become very paranoid. I cannot sleep at night because I don't know what this sick person has on his mind. I am visiting my doctor, because I become very sick and paranoid. Some times this police officer is driving so close to my rear that it makes me feel frustrated.
On Friday, August 16 my wife and me decided to go out. We just made a turn from Grand Ave, Leonia to the Fort Lee Road when the same police officer noticed us standing at the intersection moving in the opposite direction as we did.
My front windows wore open, when I so his face true police car windshield. It was the same officer. As soon as he noticed me, he made an unsafe U-turn making all cars stop in all directions (I was monitoring his move through the back window). He was following my car again.
This time, after four blocks he decided to stop me for tinted windows since from his observation I haven't committed any traffic violation. Since the windows remained opened all that time he had to use his flashlight to ensure they are in fact tinted. He also wrote a ticket for plastic license plate cover (Small License Plate holder with clear plate view).
This time he was not rude, but definitely suppressing his anger. He knew that I have tinted windows, and he knew place where I keep my insurance card. When he return my documents with the tickets and headed back to his car, I have heard him saying Fuc Russians. Well, may be I having Russian Accent, or typical Russian face, but I am still expecting some respect.
This community needs someone legitimate in leadership. This town is a humiliating comment on the dysfunctional nature of an inbred, nepotistic power structure that was obsolete a century ago.
This community needs more law enforcement, but not more of the same old tired cops it has had to suffer for 150 years. These cops aren't worth $25,000 a year; better to spend that same money on keeping the majority of them in the institutions where they belong, instead of out harassing actual citizens and "making bones" by ripping off decent people.
As a result of the actions alleged above, and in violation of Plaintiffs Rights under Federal law, my wife and myself have suffered damages, endured pain and are still suffering, mental and emotional distress.
Gene
Leonia, New Jersey
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