Last week, Jackson Township began their regularly scheduled council meeting with the presentation of five Township police officers, replacing officers who left or retired.

Chief Matthew Kunz introduced the new recruits, three full-time officers, and two part-time class II officers, to a council chamber packed with firefighters and law enforcement officials, as well as an audience of Jackson residents.

Chief Kunz noted that the new recruits would bring the police department to a nominal staffing strength of 92 full-time officers, but with a real count of 82 after taking into account illnesses and military deployment. The Chief urged the Township Council, Mayor, and business administrator to provide Jackson’s hardworking police with the funds and staffing necessary to keep the town safe.

Chief Kunz pointed out that Jackson is a large, diverse and spread out town. He noted that the town grew 9% in the last decade. He also noted that the responsibilities placed on officers have grown tremendously in the past decade, as there are many new requirements placed on police officers nationwide. Examples of those new requirements include more detailed reporting and technology. Yet, he noted Jackson’s police force is the same size that it was 11 years ago.

More neighborhoods, including new senior villages that require basic services. More citizens. More problems. More requirements. No more officers.

Kunz’s call to improve public safety was met with cheers and raucous applause from the audience.

Not a Word of Thanks

The Jackson council and the mayor responded to the police department and its chief with stone-faced silence. It was striking that they did not offer a single comment or even a tiny word of thanks to the devoted officers of Jackson’s police force for their work.

Why did the council and mayor react this way? Are the Council members angry at their own police officers who are protecting public safety? It may be deeper than that.

Jackson claims to have no money for more officers. That is because the council and mayor had to put away perhaps over $1,000,000 to fund their obsession with fighting Jackson’s own loyal and devoted Jewish residents.

That is how much their new attorney, Marci Hamilton, whose record of winning is so thin, will near certainly be paid by the time the bills add up, in a futile effort to deny basic religious liberties afforded to Jews all over the world.

Yes, even in countries like Iran and Russia Jews can build synagogues and worship in peace. They can open Jewish schools. They can have their children attend local high schools with dormitories – but not in Jackson. There is an Eruv in wealthy Manhattan, in hip London, in trend-setting San Francisco, none of their residents are bothered by those – but Jackson officials are going to spend huge sums that should have been invested in 6 or 8 new police officers in a futile fight to fight the law.

The sad irony is, Jackson’s police officers have no one else to speak for them. Surely their own PBA has been muzzled. That is because Jackson Council President Rob Nixon is a well-paid PBA big-whig who struts his “police cred” but won’t lift a finger to help his own town and officers.

If you want Jackson Township and its police officers to be safe, then make sure they are not understaffed. Say thank you to them. And support them. Tell Nixon and Reina to stop fighting Jews and to start fighting crime.