Caren Z. Turner admits in her public statement issued Wednesday that she let her emotions get the best of her while attempting to help her children out of a traffic violation Easter weekend. Some people say the fact that she interjected herself alone was out of line while others maintain they would have tried to help their own kids had they been in a similar situation. What would you do? Vote below or read on if you are unfamiliar with the story.
Would you help your child out of legal problems?
- Yes, I am the parent
- No, let them learn
Last month, Port Authority Commissioner and Tenafly mom Turner showed up at the scene of a traffic stop -- her daughter a backseat passenger.
The stop resulted in the impounding of the car because the driver could not produce insurance or registration for the vehicle, according to a dashcam video and information released by local police.
Turner, who turned up as the ride home her daughter and three friends, flashed the pair of officers her Port Authority badge and launching into a tirade.
One officer explained to Turner that he was only doing his job as she scolded him for "ruining" the holiday weekend for many people and cursing him out.
She resigned once the video and consequent information crossed the desks of her bosses at the agency, where she served as the ethics chair.
"I let my emotions get the better of me and regret my tone toward the police officers and use of off-color language," Turner said in her public statement. "For this, I apologize. However, at no point did I violate the Port Authority’s Code of Ethics or ask for special treatment for anyone involved, nor did I suggest, in any way, that I would use my position at the Port Authority to affect the outcome of the violations issued to the driver.
"My resignation from the Port Authority is a recognition that this unfortunate incident could and should have been avoided. As a long-time Tenafly resident, I have always taken an active role in the community, including working with law enforcement officials, and I encourage the Tenafly Police Department to review best practices with respect to tone and de-escalation, so that incidents like this do not recur."
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