Asbury Park 'Dancing Cop' Now Suing Police Dept., Alleging Racism

ASBURY PARK, NJ — The Asbury Park police officer who gained nationwide fame for dancing with children and community members at a block party in 2016 is now suing the police department. Police officer Craig Breiner alleges he was passed over for a promotion and that his superior directed racist remarks his way after he joined a new police union.

Breiner filed his lawsuit against the city of Asbury Park and its police department last Thursday, May 19.

Breiner said that in 2019, the Fraternal Order of Police opened a chapter at the Asbury Park Police Department, and he was one of the founding members. However, once he joined that police union, he ceased being a member of the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), the existing and predominate union for police patrolmen.

Breiner said once that happened, his supervisor, a lieutenant/captain, demeaningly referred him as a “white devil” and “race traitor” because of his FOP association. Breiner said his superior called him this on several occasions.

This is because all of the officers joining the new FOP chapter were minorities (i.e., African Americans, Asians and immigrants) and Breiner said he was the only white male American officer who joined as a founding member.

"In addition to the racist remarks, (the lieutenant) threatened plaintiff and told him he would lose his job if he continued his ongoing association with the FOP which, as noted, was consisted of only minority officers," read his lawsuit.

Breiner also says he was passed over for a promotion to sergeant: He argues he should have been promoted because he scored well on a 2018 police exam, and that all the officers who scored higher than him have subsequently been promoted up the ranks.

Breiner said he scored ninth among the 35 police officers who took a promotional exam in 2018. All eight of those officers who outscored him have since been promoted.

But he has not.

Breiner also said even though he is not officially assigned to the Community Relations unit, he is frequently called upon by the department to participate in Community Relations events, and that he always tries to say "yes" if his schedule allows. This is because of how popular his 2016 block party video was.

He also volunteers with the Asbury Park Boys and Girls Club and has dressed as the Easter bunny for town events. Breiner has volunteered with the Howell Cub Scouts for several years, volunteered with Asbury Park Little League and Police Athletic League basketball and bowling for kids.

He said this shows the Asbury Park Police Dept. values him — and that he values the city — but the department still does not promote him to sergeant.

Breiner says he has "excellent rapport with the Asbury Park community and its leaders."

A call to the Asbury Park Police was not immediately returned.

However, Asbury Park Police Chief David Kelso declined to comment to the Asbury Park Press, and Mayor John Moor told Patch he had not read the lawsuit and therefore could not comment.

Breiner was hired by the Asbury Park Police Department in 2008. Here he is dancing at the 2016 block party; the video was posted to Facebook by the Levitt AMP Asbury Park music series and got 72,000 views at the time, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Their post in sharing the video read: "'What the world needs now is love, sweet love.' Thank you Officer Breiner of the Asbury Park Police Department for helping us shine a positive light on our city and the men and women of public safety."

Breiner served as an active-duty member of the U.S. Marine Corp. from 1999-2004, and the Marine Corp Reserves from 2004 to 2008.

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