I am a disabled veteran, and I happen to work for the Veterans Administration. I took a job with the VA in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in December of last year. I was (still am technically) an Ironworker out of local #11 in Bloomfield, NJ. I was up in NJ for my daughter's graduation from Middletown High School North, and had to travel to Bloomfield to conduct some union business on 06/26/18. When I left the union hall, at 1500 Broad Street, Bloomfield I decided to go through town and get on the garden state parkway by interchange 148 instead of 151, in order to save money on the tolls. Little did I know things were not going to work out to my benefit financially. Just a couple minutes before I was to enter the parkway, I was pulled over by a Bloomfield Police SUV, and informed that my registration was overdue by 4 months. My insurance was paid up. It was a simple oversight on my part due to the fact that I hadn't seen my mailing because I'd been down in North Carolina, and my inspection month is in September, while my registration month is in February. I've seen this happen often with other people. They are simply given a ticket, and a warning to get their registration taken care of before the court date so the charge will be dropped on the court date. I've seen it done with registrations over a year overdue. Well, not this time. Not for this service connected disabled veteran. My car was towed and impounded. I was given what the police called a "courtesy" ride to the East Orange Motor Vehicles, and basically abandoned there, only to find out that I didn't have the identification necessary to take care of what I needed to take care of. When the officers asked if I wanted this so called "courtesy" ride, they could see I was very distraught and agitated, I could see they both took very intimidating stances/positions, as if to provoke, and prepare. Luckily, I have never been a violent type. A friend of mine had to bring my safe all the way up from Red Bank, NJ (an hour drive) so I could get the necessary documents to get my registration renewal, then travel a pretty far distance back to Bloomfield to get a release form from the police department. After that, I had to find the tow yard and pay them $161.50 to get my car, which I had to borrow from my friend because I had just spent my money on registration, union business, my daughter's graduation, travel, and needed money for returning to North Carolina. I explained all of this to the police. They showed no concern or empathy whatsoever. They were perfectly willing to leave a distraught, disoriented, and confused disabled veteran abandoned on the streets of East Orange, NJ. I can guarantee that, if my VA health record were opened up in court, it would be proof of me becoming easily disoriented in unfamiliar places, not to mention the fact that, I suffer from a Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD from when I was in the military, and attacked by two civilian men in Gulfport Mississippi, and beaten within an inch of my life for telling them they should not hit a woman. I have proof of that also. Did I mention the officers were very intimidating (almost provokingly and very much on the edge if not just over the edge of the boundaries of personal space)? With a situation such as I described, I'm just very blessed to not have reacted, and to have had my cellphone, and a friend who was willing to go out of her way to do what she did for me that day. There used to be a day when police actually cared about people. Then they wonder why the public turns on them. Completely heartless, hitting a man just because he's vulnerable and just made an honest mistake. Bloomfield used to be a nice town. My mom lived there for many years. I guess I'm glad she's in Monmouth County now. It's very sad when a town has to resort to extorting money out of hard working honest people who have sacrificed so much for their country (while these officers were in grammar school shooting rubber bands at each other), and the very freedoms these police officers enjoy themselves. I very much enjoyed working on the colleges up that way, and shopping in the area, and going to the shows, and art events. I won't be taking any chances to come up this way anymore if I have to worry about making an accidental infringement or something of the sort. I'd rather spend money in my town. This is what happens. Eventually, all of the business is chased off. I explained that I had to be in North Carolina by 6:00am the next day to get ready for work and I asked if they could just let me park the car somewhere, or take the car to motor vehicle. They said it would be a liability. I really don't see how there was a liability situation since the car was properly insured and I was properly licensed. In fact, it was registered; this is how they could run the plates. The payment was just late. These are the things they think we don't know. The car is still registered in the database. The payment is just late. Don't let them lie to you. I had been up since 6:00 am. I had to go to Red Bank after getting my car, pack the car, and take a 1 hour nap. Load my dog and myself in the car, drive from 9:15pm till 7:15am, take care of my dog, and get to work by 8:00am, and work a full day because these guys couldn't be helpful when that's what was truly called, and asked for. I must say, the help would have been much appreciated, praised, and never would have been forgotten, just the same. Sadly It's all about revenue and extortion (legalized and organized crime in uniform), and the driving off of who certain people consider the so called "riff-raff" to be. Meanwhile, I served my country and came home damaged, so some people didn't have to. That's fine by me. I'll make it a point to never set my feet in Bloomfield, NJ again. Exactly what kind of public service was that anyway, intimidating one of the people, who makes an honest mistake? You know: "By the people, for the people", one of those people. Exactly who are the Bloomfield traffic Police serving anyway?
