Woodbridge, NJ – Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill drew laughter and skepticism from a room full of police officers Friday morning after doubling down on her support for New Jersey’s controversial bail reform laws, telling the union crowd she’s a “believer” and that the policy isn’t going away if she wins.
The exchange came during a New Jersey State PBA forum where Sherrill fielded a final round of unscripted questions. One officer, Detective Ronald Oasis of Aberdeen Local 163, pressed her on the release of violent offenders, recounting how a suspect arrested for carjacking was freed within three days and later committed a homicide.
“We’re all good cops,” Oasis said, rejecting repeated political focus on police accountability. “I want to hear more about bail reform.”
Sherrill responded by reaffirming her belief in bail reform, arguing that the old system unfairly impacted low-income defendants. “I’m a believer,” she said. “But you also need to have people held accountable.”
As she attempted to explain the failures of current implementation—claiming the state “threw out the process” without building a new one—murmurs grew louder in the room. When she reiterated her overall support for the reform, officers could be heard laughing, with applause breaking out moments later for Oasis and others who challenged her stance.
Question:
We’re all good cops. I want to hear more about bail reform. So, what’s your plan to combat and address bail reform specifically?
Mikie Sherrill:
So, bail reform to me speaks of the problem with criminal justice reform. I’m a believer. When I was at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we worked on a re-entry court to try to help people successfully re-enter communities so they didn’t reoffend. That kept people safe.
I’m all for breaking the school-to-prison pipeline. After summer youth employment, we studied that it works really well in some areas. Making sure we have high-intensity tutoring, for example.
The problem with bail reform is that while there was a cited issue with bail — where a lot of money was being taken out of very poor communities in a way that wasn’t always helpful — you also need to have people held accountable and showing up for their court dates. Too often with criminal justice reform, you’re throwing the baby out with the bathwater. You’re saying, “I don’t like this process, so I’m going to get rid of this process,” but you’re not putting anything in its place to keep us safe and keep people accountable.
That is my problem right now with bail reform. If you want to reform that process, you’ve got to have a new process in place. What we’ve done is taken away the process and not laid out a new one. So we’re having all kinds of problems with people showing up for their court dates. And you’re citing one of the horrible examples of what happens there.
I would like to understand better: if we are going to reform the system, what is going to hold people accountable?
Question:
If you just went back to the old way — if people show up to court, you get your money back — doesn’t that work?
Mikie Sherrill:
Correct. I think what you’re seeing in too many cases is money being taken out of communities for periods of time. That’s really difficult for people. They go to loan sharks and pay high interest rates.
And they’re not the ones committing the crimes — often it’s the moms or family members of the people committing crimes. You’re going into communities and telling family members to come up with this money. The way they do it is by going to loan sharks and paying huge interest rates.
I’m really concerned that you’re not more concerned about some of the people you serve. I’m not talking about lawbreakers. I’m talking about community members who are trying to get better results. I know you all care deeply about this because I’ve worked with so many of you.
By not thinking of better ways of doing this, I think we’re leaving some options on the table with our communities. However, I agree with you that just getting rid of the system isn’t working. I want to reform it. If it means going back to the old way if we can’t come up with a better path, sure. But why wouldn’t we want to try? That’s where I’m coming from.
Despite the pushback, Sherrill maintained that the state shouldn’t revert to the old cash-based system without exploring better alternatives. “You’ve got to have a new process to put in place,” she said. “We’ve taken away the process and not laid out a new one.”
Bail reform has become a flashpoint in New Jersey law enforcement circles, with officers blaming the current system for repeat violent offenders returning to the streets. Under laws passed in 2017, judges can no longer impose cash bail in most cases and must use risk assessments to decide pretrial release.
Sherrill’s defense of the system, while acknowledging flaws, contrasted sharply with calls from rank-and-file officers to repeal it altogether. Some officers in attendance voiced frustration that their warnings about real-world consequences were not being taken seriously by lawmakers.
The moment marked one of the most openly confrontational exchanges in Sherrill’s appearance, which also touched on her plans to fire Attorney General Matt Platkin and her support for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. But on bail reform, her remarks landed flat with many in the room.
As her team called for the final question, the forum closed with officers still shaking their heads at the candidate’s unwavering stance on an issue that has become a daily challenge in their departments.
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Key Points
- Mikie Sherrill told police she supports bail reform and won’t reverse it if elected governor.
- Officers laughed and applauded a detective who cited a homicide committed by a suspect released under current laws.
- Sherrill said the system needs adjustments but stood by the principles behind the policy.
In a room full of cops demanding change, Sherrill stood by bail reform—and they laughed.