New Jersey police union calls for stronger protections after Philadelphia officer’s shooting death
NEW JERSEY — The New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police is calling for stronger legal protections for law enforcement officers and greater accountability for violent offenders following the shooting death of Philadelphia Police Officer Shane Seiber on Saturday, Oct. 10.
In a statement, NJFOP State President James Ford expressed condolences to Seiber’s family, fellow officers and the Philadelphia Police Department while urging state and federal lawmakers to consider legislation aimed at addressing violence against law enforcement.
According to the NJFOP, Seiber, 40, was a 10-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department who leaves behind a wife and two young children. Another Philadelphia police officer was seriously wounded in the shooting.
“Enough is enough. How many more police officers must be murdered? How many more families must receive that devastating knock on the door? How many more communities must bury their protectors before we collectively acknowledge that something must change?” said NJFOP President James Ford.
“Officer Shane Seiber was more than a badge and a uniform. He was a husband, a father, a colleague, and a public servant whose family will now face a lifetime without him. We also pray for the full recovery of his wounded fellow officer. Their sacrifice demands more than our sorrow. It demands our attention and our commitment to meaningful change.”
The organization said honoring fallen officers should extend beyond condolences and memorial services to include legislative discussions about officer safety and accountability for serious violent crimes.
In New Jersey, the NJFOP is urging lawmakers to consider Assembly Bill A135, which would allow juveniles charged with intentionally or knowingly killing a law enforcement officer under specified circumstances to be considered for prosecution in adult criminal court, regardless of age.
Such transfers would remain subject to judicial review under the proposed legislation.
The organization also highlighted Assembly Bill A1171 and Senate Bill S200, companion measures addressing juvenile transfers to adult court more broadly.
According to the NJFOP, those proposals would expand the circumstances under which juveniles charged with certain serious offenses, including homicide, robbery, carjacking, aggravated sexual assault, terrorism and human trafficking, could be considered for prosecution in adult criminal court, regardless of age, subject to judicial review.
At the federal level, the NJFOP is calling on New Jersey’s congressional delegation to support the Protect and Serve Act, legislation intended to establish additional federal criminal penalties for certain deliberate attacks targeting law enforcement officers because of their official status.
“Protecting police officers should never be a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. It is a public safety issue, a community issue, and fundamentally a matter of recognizing the value of human life,” Ford stated.
Beyond those legislative proposals, the organization is urging lawmakers, prosecutors, police leaders and criminal justice officials to examine policies involving repeat violent offenders.
The NJFOP said those discussions should address sentencing practices, pretrial detention standards, repeat-offender accountability and whether existing criminal justice policies adequately protect communities from individuals with histories of serious violence.
“We can respect constitutional protections, recognize the importance of rehabilitation, and support a fair criminal justice system while also acknowledging that individuals who repeatedly commit serious acts of violence pose a significant threat to our communities and the officers who serve them,” Ford continued.
“Public safety and officer safety are not competing priorities. They are inseparable. When violent offenders repeatedly endanger our neighborhoods, it is our residents and law enforcement officers who ultimately pay the price.”
The organization acknowledged that criminal justice reform requires consideration of constitutional protections, rehabilitation and differing perspectives among lawmakers and criminal justice stakeholders.
“Every day, our officers put on their uniforms knowing the risks associated with their profession. They accept those risks because they believe in service, sacrifice, and protecting others. What they should never have to accept is a society that becomes complacent about violence directed toward those sworn to protect it.”
The NJFOP said it remains committed to working with elected officials from both political parties, law enforcement organizations, community leaders and criminal justice professionals on proposals intended to improve public safety.
“Today, our hearts are with our brothers and sisters in Philadelphia. Tomorrow, and every day thereafter, our responsibility is to turn our grief into meaningful action. We owe that to Officer Seiber, to his family, to every fallen officer, to every officer still answering the call, and to the communities depending upon them.
Enough is enough. Our officers deserve to come home. Their families deserve to have them home. And our communities deserve to be safe.”
