Unsung heroes: Governor’s N.J. State Trooper security detail

BY CARL GOLDEN

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

COMMENTARY

Everyone who has ever attended a public appearance by a Governor has seen them.

For the most part, they're relatively young (mid-30's to mid-40's) men and women; the men in medium to dark shades of grey, blue or brown suits, white or muted color shirts, subdued ties, and small lapel pins; the women in dark suits, low-heeled shoes, no handbags, and lapel pins identical to those worn by the men.

One is usually positioned by the entrance/exit to the room, while the other stands behind and several feet away from the Governor's side. They're careful not to be noticed and remain out of camera range.

Beneath the men's suit coats, there's a shoulder holster carrying a handgun. The women usually have a holster with a similar weapon attached to the waistband beneath their jacket.

A thin wire is threaded through the sleeves of their jackets and they can occasionally be spotted trying to be an unobtrusive as possible while whispering into their shirt cuff.

They are members of the Governor's security detail — state troopers assigned to the plain clothes unit with responsibility for the safety of the Governor and his or her immediate family.

In my 11 years of service as press secretary to two New Jersey governors, I spent a great deal of time around them, traveling not only around the state but on numerous trips outside as well.

The controversy which has erupted around New York Gov. David Paterson has embroiled his security detail, raising serious questions about what role troopers might have played in trying to quell a potentially embarrassing situation concerning a domestic violence incident involving a top aide to Paterson.

While any official state police role would have been inappropriate and unethical, it brings into sharp focus the relationship which can develop between the troopers and the Governor they serve.

A closeness grows over time as the troopers and the Governor become more comfortable with each other. They accompany the Governor to and from home, stay in quarters next to him 24 hours a day, occupy hotel rooms on either side of his while on trips, go to bed after he does and arise a hour before so they are waiting outside his door to start the day.

While the dark phrase "taking a bullet for the Governor" is somewhat Hollywoodish dramatic, it is nonetheless their job. When former Gov. Jon Corzine was seriously hurt in a traffic accident a few years ago, a trooper accompanying him placed his body over the injured governor to shield him from a small fire which had broken out in the heavily damaged SUV.

It is a job of long hours — 12 to 15 hour days are not uncommon — as well as glassy-eyed boredom involving speeches and ceremonial events which sorely tested their ability to remain alert.

They are the essence of discretion, neither repeating what they may have overheard nor recounting what they may have seen.

For someone like me who has seen the interaction between the protector and the protected, it is a little easier to understand how loyalty could have overridden better judgment if asked to carry out a task which might be questionable but would help the Governor avoid a personally difficult situation.

It does not condone or excuse official police involvement in a personal dilemma faced by a Governor, but the fault lies primarily with the order giver rather than the order taker. The instinct to protect the Governor whether it is from physical harm or personal embarrassment is extremely strong and, when ordered to do so, a trooper can justify putting aside his misgivings in favor of what he sees as a higher service.

I was fortunate in that the governors I served — Tom Kean and Christie Whitman — who, while friends with their protectors, had such a deep respect for them and their professionalism that there was never a thought given to utilizing police authority in any personal way. Current Gov. Chris Christie seems to have been cut from the same cloth.

Several of the security detail troopers remain my friends to this day, even though a few have retired or moved on to other careers.

I retain fond memories of traveling with them in a slightly more relaxed atmosphere, sharing stories and laughs about people and events.

One quick glimpse into the relationship: The troopers in Kean's security detail were housed in a field construction trailer outside the Governor's home and, one year, the staff presented them with a Christmas gift — a years' subscription to Trailer Life magazine.

I even managed to stay friends with the captain in charge of the detail who, when I asked him what he would do in the event of an imminent threat to the governor, replied:

"First, the Governor....then you....if there's time."

Then he smiled. I think.

Carl Golden served as press secretary to Govs. Kean and Whitman.