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.