NJ Green Party Candidate: Sen. Booker’s Policing Bill Is Too Weak

NEWARK, NJ — Sen. Cory Booker is facing criticism from one of his election-year challengers, Madelyn Hoffman of the Green Party of New Jersey, who says his proposal to revamp U.S. policing doesn’t go nearly far enough.

Earlier this week, Booker was among dozens of high-profile Democratic lawmakers to throw their support behind a bill in the U.S. Senate dubbed the "Justice in Policing Act of 2020."

The proposed law, sponsored by Booker and Kamala Harris of California in the Senate, would allow use of force only as a last resort, ban chokeholds, prohibit racial and religious profiling, and make it easier to hold police accountable for misconduct. It would also ban the use of "no-knock" warrants and eliminate "qualified immunity" for police officers.

The bill and its companion in the House of Representatives have picked up support from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and several other top Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey, including Sen. Bob Menendez and U.S. Reps. Mikie Sherrill, Donald Norcross, Frank Pallone Jr., Donald Payne Jr., Albio Sires and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

• See related article: Sen. Booker Backs Plan To Revamp Policing: 'Time For A Reckoning'

But not everyone is thrilled with the way Booker is approaching the issue of police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death, which has spurred protests across the nation and given new life to an old debate.

According to Hoffman, the Justice in Policing Act is “too little, too late.”

Hoffman told Patch that she has serious doubts that Democrats’ current reform package will actually address the public’s concerns about the police.

“Senator Booker, we are glad that you and other elected officials are hearing the very loud and focused voices from all around the country to defund the police and spend some of the money spent on policing for programs that address community needs,” Hoffman said Tuesday.

“The latest policy proposal shows that you and others felt a need to respond,” Hoffman continued. “But the people need more than police reform. We must replace the police force with a holistic program of social workers, healthcare professionals and affordable housing, and more recreation and employment services. This will enable our communities to become healthy and sustainable.”

• See related article: 'Defund The Police' (5 Things To Know About What It Means)

Newark resident Victor Monterrosa Jr., an attorney who is supporting Hoffman’s campaign for U.S. Senate, offered a scathing analysis of Booker’s time as mayor of his home city from 2006 to 2013.

Monterrosa, a former candidate for Newark’s city council, said:

“A decade of police misconduct took place under then-Mayor Booker’s watch. Nine of every ten interactions between police and civilians were unconstitutional. It was the Booker administration that set off red flags for the U.S. Department of Justice, leading to the consent decree and federal monitoring that is costing Newark millions.”

Monterrosa added:

“Police reform is not the answer; the key is to eliminate the root cause of crime, like poverty and racism … Elimination of the doctrine of qualified immunity is too little too late. The people are speaking loud and clear: end policing. Reforming this doctrine will allow poor police conduct to continue. Until the needs of the community are truly met, the protests in the streets are likely to continue.”

Booker, who began and ended his 2020 presidential campaign in Newark, is running for reelection this year.

• See related article: Cory Booker Preps For Senate Election; Candidate Field Grows
• See related article: NJ Republican Challenging Sen. Cory Booker Drops Out Of Race

Booker's campaign manager Adam Silverstein offered Patch the following reply to Hoffman and Monterrosa's statement:

"Cory Booker has spent his entire career fighting for a more fair and just nation for all by bringing people together to accomplish things other thought couldn't be done. From his time as a tenant organizer in Newark, to implementing some of the most far-reaching police reforms in the nation as mayor, winning praise from the ALCU, to now serving as the leading voice for criminal justice reform in the Senate, Cory has a long history of running towards challenges others have given up on. As we face increasingly dark times, Cory will continue to shine a bright light on injustice, give a voice to the voiceless, and deliver results for the people of New Jersey."

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