“I look to officers and police union officials
to get their take so I can come back with a
response that is holistic answer to the
questions. And when they come to me, I am
very willing to sit down and discuss it from my
perspective of having been a first responder.”
GORDON M. JOHNSON
ran, was elected in 2002 and will be seeking his eighth term this
November.
Johnson believes all his law enforcement service – and his tour
in the U.S. Army Reserve – has made him the type of team player
that excels in legislative service.
“I have a strong understanding of the chain of command, and
chain of command is very important in the Assembly,” he notes.
“One is part of a strategy or plan and one performs for the betterment of the whole. It’s good to have leadership over us who can
help us understand what might be a good idea for you but maybe
not for somebody in Central or South Jersey. It creates more dialogue and compromise, and that’s how I like to put a bill together.”
The bills Johnson has sponsored he believes have come together
most effectively include one to allow prosecutors to use DNA evidence in their cases, and has resulted in helping those who are
wrongly convicted get easier access to their freedom, and another
to prevent the general public from getting access to officers’ personal information through OPRA requests. He has also sponsored
legislation that permits municipalities to enact ordinances to curb
gang-related loitering and criminal activity, and another piece that
requires prosecutors to determine the risk of re-offense under
Megan’s Law prior to releasing an offender form incarceration.
And there are certain types of bills that come to the Assembly
that Johnson is always keeping an eye on.
“There’s always bills on the floor to provide funding for law
enforcement agencies,” he relates. “And all jurisdictions should
know there are also federal and state grants they can take
advantage of to procure different types of equipment needed.”
As for the road ahead, Johnson muses, “I’m staying forever. My
colleague is 80.”
That colleague would be State Senator Loretta Weinberg, who
also represents the 37th District and whose office is right down the
hall. Johnson credits Senator Weinberg for mentoring and guiding
him to understand how to develop policy and understanding the
intricacies of governance.
And he will stay on the job because of the calls that come with
challenges like one he received recently.
“The police chief from Englewood Cliffs called about an EMT on
an ambulance who had two calls for heroin overdoses on the same
day. We talked about how there is no place for these people to go
once the hospital releases them. I’m going to try and find out how
to put a system in place for a victim of an overdose, who is not
arrested, to have a place to go to get further help.”
So it will always be about public service for Johnson. And he will
always take pride in being a law enforcement officer representing
in the legislature and not just a representative of law enforcement
in Trenton. d
www.njcopsmagazine.com
n
APRIL 2015
43