JACKSON, N.J. – Jackson Township council candidate Chris Pollak is facing mounting backlash after admitting he made a series of critical statements about law enforcement in a March interview that recently resurfaced online, but has stopped short of apologizing to police officers.
The comments, published to YouTube earlier this year, captured Pollak expressing frustration with police and government, remarks his campaign initially dismissed as fake.
His campaign manager, Elliot Shem Tov, told reporters the clips were “not real.” Pollak later confirmed the voice was his, conceding, yes, that’s his voice in the YouTube video.
Rather than walk back his remarks, Pollak defended them — saying his criticism was aimed at New York City police, not officers in Jackson Township. “I wasn’t talking about the Jackson Police, I was talking about the New York City Police,” Pollak said after attending the Jackson Township PBA pig roast last weekend, the same day the clips became public.
In the full interview, Pollak delivered several pointed remarks about policing, government, and criminal justice, saying the issue was complex and systemic, and that people now fear the police in modern society.
“And it’s weird, man. And I feel very different ways about it because I feel like, honestly, it’s in part the people’s fault.”
“It’s in part the police’s fault, and it’s in part the government’s fault.”
“And I could go on about how I absolutely hate this government.”
“It’s been a much larger conversation when it comes to the police now. I don’t think the police are doing anything.”
“I mean, I’m not usually a big fan of just provide blanket apologies and praise for the police,” his interviewer replied.
In another section of the interview, Pollak acknowledged both good and bad in law enforcement, while voicing concerns about community trust among police officers.
“Well, I’m in total agreement with you about community policing. I think there’s definitely a lot of good police officers out there, but there’s definitely some bad.
I think police, in a lot of ways, has become more about… less about community relations in a lot of ways, even though I know they’re trying. But when people see the police, a lot of times they’re not happy. When a lot of people see the police coming around, they’re worried more about getting a ticket or getting in trouble than feeling safe or protected.
Not to say the police don’t work hard and there’s not a lot of great ones out there. Not that they’re not out there to protect people and help people.
But I think there’s a lot of bad stigmata around the police, and I don’t know how they can change that.”
Pollak also said that police should not be investigating or charge people in non-violent crimes, aligning him with the policies of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and the Democrat party. He says drug dealers should not go to jail because they’re not hurting anyone, physically.
He also questioned current drug laws and sentencing practices:
“I’m not in total agreement with some of the drug laws that there might be out there. I think there’s a lot of people who maybe just need more help than they do need to actually be locked up.
You think like mandatory minimums for a mile of defenders? Yeah, I think we put a lot of people in jail who shouldn’t be in jail.”
“If you’re doing something violent, absolutely 100%, you need to be behind bars. But if you’re doing something non-violent that’s not truly hurting somebody, I don’t think we should put those people in the system.”
The comments have drawn sharp criticism in Jackson Township, a staunchly pro-law enforcement community known for its conservative base and strong ties to police.
Some residents have called for Pollak to apologize to local officers.
Despite the backlash, Pollak has continued to defend his statements, insisting his words were taken out of context and that his concerns were directed toward policing policies in large urban cities, not the Jackson Police Department. When the interview was conducted, Pollak claims he was already a resident in Jackson.
The Jackson PBA hosted a pig roast, but Pollak was online roasting cops.
In Jackson, where the blue line runs deep, voters will decide whether his words were criticism or conviction.