NJ State Trooper Investigated For Hateful Ties After Tattoo Reveal

CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NJ — A New Jersey state trooper, who was located after going missing, is now under internal investigation for tattoos potentially linked to white-supremacist movements.

Jason Dare, a detective who lives in Cumberland County, has been a state trooper since 2004. Col. Patrick Callahan, superintendent of State Police, confirmed Thursday to Patch via a spokesperson that the agency is investigating him:

"I am aware of the concerns regarding tattoos identified on Detective I Jason Dare's body and there is currently an internal investigation into the matter. I understand the importance of transparency and trust between law enforcement and the community, which is why we have enlisted the assistance of our law enforcement partners to conduct a thorough investigation. There is no room for hate, prejudicial rhetoric, or divisive behavior in our organization, an organization that was built on our core values of honor, duty, and fidelity.
We live and work in a very diverse state and our law enforcement community should reflect that as well. We want the communities we serve to be our partners and I stand united with them as well as the troopers and other law enforcement professionals who work tirelessly to dedicate themselves to strengthening these relationships. Detective I Dare has been a trooper with the New Jersey State Police since 2004 and is currently on administrative leave."

Dare is on paid leave for a matter unrelated to the investigation, State Police said.

The state trooper went missing March 18 from a medical facility in Media, Pennsylvania. Before State Police reported he was "safely found" on Friday, the agency reported that Dare went missing and shared several photos of him. One of them revealed a tattoo across his neck that says "Blood Honor."

• Read more: Missing NJ State Trooper From South Jersey Has Been Found

"Blood & Honour" was a slogan for the Hitler youth movement, later becoming the name of a "shadowy international coalition of racist skinhead gangs," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The origin behind Dare's neck tattoo remains unclear. But state troopers are prohibited from publicly or privately displaying a tattoo "that is prejudicial to good order, discipline, or causes a discredit to the member or the Division while acting in any capacity."

Dare's salary this year totals $104,333, according to state records.

State Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said he couldn't comment on the Dare investigation. But he said via a spokesperson, "There is no place for hate in the New Jersey State Police or within the ranks of the 38,000 sworn law enforcement officers in New Jersey. Not only do we stand with the diverse residents of our state, but we stand with the countless members of our law enforcement community who are striving to build trust in each and every neighborhood."

The links between hate groups and some members of U.S. law enforcement have generated attention in recent years. The FBI privately raised concerns in 2006 about growing concerns of white supremacists "infiltrating law enforcement." The heavily redacted documents on the matter became public in 2020, The Intercept reported.

In September 2021, a data leak from DDOSecrets showed more than 38,000 names on the membership rolls of the Oath Keepers — a far-right militia accused of playing a key role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. The rolls included current and former law enforcement.

In New Jersey, 12 members of law enforcement, two military personnel and one elected official were on the Oath Keepers' rolls, according to analysis from the Anti-Defamation League.

• Read more: Oath Keepers In NJ Include 12 In Law Enforcement, 1 Politician: Report

The ADL didn't reveal their names. The organization also clarified that some people in the Oath Keepers database have disavowed the group since signing up, while others may have joined because they were sold a watered-down version of the group's agenda.

At the time of the leak, New Jersey had no law prohibiting law enforcement or public officials from joining the Oath Keepers or similar groups that have been labeled extremist. But the state passed a law July 21 that addresses the matter.

• Read more: New NJ Police Training Law Will Root Out 'Bad Actors,' Supporters Say

The new law establishes a uniform, statewide system for licensing officers, joining 46 states that have the same. The bipartisan measure will allow the state Police Training Commission to decertify officers for several reasons, including active membership "of a group or organization that advocates for, espouses, or promotes the overthrow of a local, state, or federal government or discrimination or violence against or hatred" against protected classes under New Jersey's anti-discrimination laws.

"As police licensure takes shape in New Jersey," Platkin said, "we will ensure that the requirements provide the public with the assurance of professionalism, qualification, and accountability for all law enforcement officers. To be clear, it would be a violation of the new police licensure law to be an active member of a group that advocates for discrimination based on classes protected by the Law Against Discrimination."