Cardinale Statement on Bergen County Sheriff Saudino

Senator Gerry Cardinale (R-Bergen) issued the following statement in response to recently released audio recordings of Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino making racist comments:

“It’s disheartening that someone in such an important position within our county can have such a low view of so many of the people he serves. You can dislike policies that you think are bad, but you can’t dislike entire communities.

“Further, Sheriff Saudino’s suggestion that Attorney General Grewal was appointed by the Governor solely for the sake of appearance is beyond the pale.

“As a legislator who has long represented Bergen County, and as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee which reviewed and confirmed the Attorney General’s nomination, I can state without hesitation that New Jersey’s top law enforcement officer is eminently qualified and deserving of his position.

“Going forward, I’m not sure how the public can trust that the actions of the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office or individual officers aren’t influenced by the views of their leader. Sheriff Saudino should consider if his continued presence is in the best interest of the law enforcement community or the people of Bergen County.”