Tenafly, New Jersey, Police Chief Robert Chamberlain says he is "very proud" of the way his officers handled the recent incident with Port Authority Commissioner Caren Turner at a traffic stop involving Turner's daughter.
Turner was forced to resign from her post at the bi-state agency after video of the March 31 incident went public, showing her berating Tenafly Police Officers for no good reason.
Turner demanded the officers refer to her as "commissioner" and told them to "shut the f*** up." She even threatened to report them to their boss and the mayor.
"I'm very proud of the officers," Chamberlain told NorthJersey.com. "Messages are coming in from as far away as Texas, Michigan and South Carolina praising them and wanting them to be commended."
Chamberlain added that he believes the professionalism of officers Matthew Savitsky and Tom Casper is indicative of his entire department.
Turner resigned after Port Authority officials viewed the dashcam footage of the incident, in which Turner shamelessly pulled rank on the officers, bragged about owning three homes and about knowing the mayor of Tenafly.
Chamberlain says officers are trained in police academy of how to handle upset people during the course of their shifts.
Turner arrived at the scene of the traffic stop after a car in which her daughter was a passenger was pulled over for having illegal window tints. The officers, as a matter of procedure, were impounding the car.
They said the traffic stop before Turner arrived was routine and all the occupants of the vehicle were completely respectful.
"The conduct was indefensible," Port Authority officials said of Turner's behavior, writing that they accepted her resignation as "appropriate given her outrageous conduct."
Chief Chamberlain also said the video shows the value of having cameras record all stops.
"They show the truth," he said, "whether in favor of the police officer or not."
Photo: NorthJersey