Nine current and former Hudson County law enforcement officials are condemning Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla for accepting an “anti-police” endorsement from a former congressional candidate in the 8th District contest against U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8).
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“As current and former members of law enforcement, we are appalled and disappointed by Ravi Bhalla’s solicitation of an endorsement by David Ocampo Grajales – an activist who has again and again called to defund police departments, make our communities less safe and insulted the men and women who protect our families and neighbors on a daily basis,” the group said in a joint statement.
“At a time when police departments are struggling with morale, recruitment, and retention issues, Bhalla is associating with someone who believes that the exact people who put their lives on the line each and every day do so because they have ‘fragile egos.’ It is all the more disturbing that Bhalla courted this endorsement when Hoboken has recently seen several disturbing violent incidents including shootings and carjackings.”
They concluded that all residents of the 8th Congressional District concerned with public safety, and/or who are part of police families, should be upset with this turn of events, referring to Ocampo Grajales as an “anti-police activist.”
Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, a retired Jersey City police lieutenant, Sheriff Frank Schillari, County Commissioner Chair Anthony Romano, a retired Hoboken police captain,
Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis, retired Bayonne police captain, Bayonne Councilman-at-Large Juan Perez, a former county sheriff and retired state trooper captain, Bayonne Councilman-at-Large Loyad Booker, a retired Bayonne police officer, Jersey City Ward C Councilman Rich Boggiano, a retired Jersey City police detective, Hudson County Sheriff’s Superiors FOP Lodge No. 127 President Matt Fedrow, and Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association (POBA) President Joe Cossolini issued the statement.
Everyone on that list, including Romano, who also works in Hoboken as the assistant public safety director, has endorsed Menendez for re-election.
Ocampo Grajales lost in a blowout to Menendez in a three-way race in 2022 and he endorsed Bhalla for Congress on Saturday, as HCV first reported.
“F*** that, get a real job. A police force that can’t even handle mean words should be abolished. It’s always about “respect” for these guys. It’s clear they only wear the uniform to satisfy their fragile egos,” he tweeted in June 2020 in response to an NYPD presser.
Bhalla for Congress campaign spokesman Rob Horowitz called the joint statement “a transparently sleazy attack” by the same Hudson County political operatus that has answered to the Menendez family for years before speaking of Bhalla’s record in Hoboken.
“This is a transparently sleazy attack by the same old Hudson County political machine that took its marching orders from Senator Bob Menendez and is now carrying the water for his son Rob Menendez, Jr.,” he began.
“Ravi Bhalla has made public safety a priority as mayor of Hoboken and has a proven track record as a strong supporter of the Hoboken Police, backing its successful community policing approach and consistently hiring more officers over a six year span. In 2021, Ravi won the endorsement of the Hoboken Superior Officers’ Association, demonstrating his strong support from law enforcement, and in nearly every year Ravi has served as mayor, Hoboken has seen reductions in crime.”
The primary election is on June 4th.
“In 2021, Ravi won the endorsement of the Hoboken Superior Officers’ Association, demonstrating his strong support from law enforcement”
Must have been a difficult endorsement to “win” as an incumbent running unopposed. Nice job Rob!
As the public gets offered more choices, the knives have certainly come out, and the distinctions between virtue and sleaze have become a bit blurred. Our elected officials are now calling out issues the public has known about for years, but has often been reluctant to state anywhere but on a barstool, for fear of losing a job, getting blasted by the Mayor’s hit squad or being “cancelled” by supposed adults at a PTA meeting. This Administration has been bad for our culture and sense of community. Let’s not reward them for that…..
He is not good for the city of Hoboken. It’s time for a new mayor. Tax payer Jeff Sklar
Vote Them Out makes a good point. Everyone was afraid to speak out against the line or all of ravi’s vengeful political tactics. Now he’s acting as if he’s anti-corruption and good government. his sleazy dealings over 12 years put him in a position to pretend to be on the right side of things. Unfortunately the rest of the world hasn’t seen what we’ve seen locally in Hoboken. Who is going to tell them convincingly? I doubt they will go back through HCV. Have to count on the local media to point out that this is all very sudden for Ravi. He does get good headlines but we need the facts too.
The good news is that Ravi has reached out to the most radical communists and obtained their endorsement. Ravi agreed to defund the Hoboken police on his way out.