Let's not forget that State Trooper's tattoos
By MATT FRIEDMAN
08/24/2023 06:54 AM EDT
Good Thursday morning!
One fault with the news media — and I’m as guilty of this as anyone — is that we often report on something, say a lawsuit or an investigation, and don’t follow up.
So recently I remembered the case of State Police Detective Jason Dare, who went missing for several days in March. Dare was found, but the controversy was just beginning. People began asking questions about the big “Blood Honor” tattoo on his neck that was visible in a photo the State Police circulated, then took down. Internet sleuths then surfaced social media pics of other tattoos he has, like an iron cross and a pit bull that appears identical to the symbol of a Pennsylvania white supremacist group, and a photo of him wearing a tank top featuring a skull wearing a helmet that looks like those worn by Germany soldiers during World War II.
So here’s the follow-up for now: An internal investigation into Dare has been shifted from the State Police to the Division of Criminal Justice, and Dare is suspended without pay. I wish could offer more, but that’s all I can dig out for now.
If Dare’s “Blood Honor” tattoo was a one-off, I could see how an innocent explanation would be possible. But with all those other tattoos as well, it’s hard to think of one.
If Dare did harbor abhorrent views and associations that have no place with someone charged with enforcing New Jersey’s laws equally, is it believable that he could have spent nearly 20 years on the force without anybody knowing about it? Especially when he didn’t do a very good job hiding any of it, if he tried. This isn’t just an isolated case. The State Police are once again under a lot of scrutiny on how they handle race, both within the department and in traffic stops. So I hope that once this investigation concludes we get a thorough answer.
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