Chief ‘very proud’ after officers weather profane outburst from Port Authority official

Deena Yellin | The (Bergen County, N.J.) Record

Show Caption Hide Caption Video shows Port Authority commissioner told Tenafly police 'You may shut the f--- up' A now-former Port Authority commissioner engaged in a verbal altercation with Tenafly police during a traffic stop involving a family member.

WOODLAND PARK, N.J. — A New Jersey police chief said Wednesday he's been fielding congratulatory emails and calls ever since a dashcam video was released that showed a Port Authority commissioner pulling rank and repeatedly insulting two officers who had pulled over a vehicle in which her daughter was a passenger.

The Tenafly police officers, Matthew Savitsky and Tom Casper, remained polite and professional throughout the March 31 incident, even after Port Authority Commissioner Caren Turner snapped at them for calling her "miss," demanding they call her "commissioner," and later told them to "shut the f--- up."

She also threatened to go their boss to complain about them.

"I'm very proud of the officers," Tenafly Police Chief Robert Chamberlain said, adding that their demeanor is representative of his entire department. "Messages are coming in from as far away as Texas, Michigan and South Carolina praising them and wanting them to be commended."

Turner was forced to resign last week, after Port Authority officials viewed the clip in which she boasted of her prestigious title, her friendship with Tenafly Mayor Peter Rustin and her three homes.

She was called to the traffic stop to pick up her daughter and her friends because the Toyota in which they were riding was being impounded by the police for having an expired registration since 2016.

As seen in the video, Turner arrives at the scene, shows the officers a card and says, "I'm a commissioner of the Port Authority and I'm heading up over 4,000 people. OK?"

Later, when officers tell her she can drive the young adults home, she says: "You may not tell me when to take my child. 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."

More: Video shows Port Authority official unleashing F-bomb at cops during traffic stop

At the end of the video, she informs the officers, "This isn't going to go down nicely."

Port Authority officials, in a written statement, said: “The video speaks for itself. The conduct was indefensible. The Board takes its recently adopted Code of Ethics for Commissioners extremely seriously and was preparing to form a special committee to review the findings of the Inspector General investigation and take action at this Thursday’s Board meeting. Commissioner Turner’s resignation was appropriate given her outrageous conduct.”

Chamberlain said sensitivity and verbal judo are emphasized during police training.

"Police learn to stay calm and work through the incident, whatever it may be," he said.

The occupants of the car gave police no problem at all.

"They were super polite. There were no issues with them. It was a minor vehicle violation but one that requires the vehicle to be impounded," Chamberlain said.

Rustin, the mayor, commended the police. He acknowledged that he is friendly with Turner but stopped short of saying they are good friends.

"Look, I'm friendly with her. I know her. Do we socialize? No. I've been mayor for 15 years. I know a lot of people, and I'm friendly with many of them. To be honest, three-quarters of the people who get stopped by the police probably say they're friends with the mayor."

Cresskill Police Chief Edward Wrixon said such incidents are growing more frequent and he constantly reminds his officers to be professional and remain calm.

"This is another reason why car cameras are a good thing. They show the truth, whether in favor of the police officer or not." In addition, cameras keep people on their best behavior, he said. "When you know you are being watched, you behave more professionally."