An escalating feud inside the Jackson Police Department is drawing in an unlikely party: Hatzolah’s volunteer EMTs.
In the past two weeks, Hatzolah members have been slapped with more than a dozen traffic summonses while en route to or stationed at emergencies. Volunteers allege they’ve been cursed at, mocked in derogatory terms, and even obstructed from providing care at accident scenes.
The most recent episodes involve Officers Dan Scharff and Zach White, who allegedly ticketed and blocked Hatzolah EMTs from treating patients while on emergency calls.
For nearly two years, Jackson’s police force has been mired in dysfunction. After rank-and-file officers revolted against the police chief, the township created a Director of Public Safety to restore order. But the truce never fully took.
Now, observers say the harassment of Hatzolah may be collateral damage in the department’s internal cold war. According to multiple sources, lower-ranking officers — locked in a simmering standoff with leadership — have begun targeting Hatzolah members as part of a pressure campaign, lying in wait at intersections and shadowing Hatzolah members on calls in search of technical violations.
For residents, the stakes are less about internal politics and more about response times. If EMTs are second-guessing whether they’ll be pulled over or ticketed, community leaders warn, patients could pay the price.
Township officials have yet to address the allegations publicly, leaving open questions about whether the disputes inside the department — and the reported harassment of volunteer EMTs and medics — will trigger outside scrutiny or intervention.
Imagine being such a low life that you will ticket someone there to save someone life?! This is the problem with America
I know! Can you imagine if ICE detained Fire Fighters at work during an active wildfire, pulling them off the job, making them line up, and arresting the brown ones without due process, leaving their squad undermanned? It’s crazy!
Jackson PD has bad apples?
Do these cops also ticket other police cars arriving at an emergency scene which park incorrectly and threaten to tow the vehicle away?
If you don’t like it then leave, we were here first, the police should always be called first to an emergency not your EMTs
Would you say the same to an active fire? Should we have police responding inplace of trained firefighters?
You are so clueless. Without Hatzalah, the already overloaded system would collapse. I can guarantee that if you were ever in need of help, you’d want “your EMTs” showing up—and guess what? Hatzalah has paramedics. And chances are, if your local EMS has to call for paramedics, our Hatzalah is the one showing up. Stop talking nonsense. I’m a longtime Jackson resident, and let me tell you this: no one cares for or appreciates the hate.
right if your having a heart attack u prob want cops to show up 15 min later and be first rather than have paramedics and emts arrive first
-at least cops carry body bags
When your family member has a medical emergency, you call the police before EMTs??
1. If you don’t like it then leave: If we don’t like it that emergency responders are being ticketed for saving lives we should leave? Any time that you don’t like something, do YOU leave? Or do you try to see first if there is something you can do about it?
2. we were here first: Who exactly is “we”? Non-jews? Since when in the USA are people classified by religion? If someone is a citizen of this country then they are part of this millions-strong group called citizens of the USA. Paul, are you a citizen? If yes, and we are too, then we were here first too.
3. the police should always be called first to an emergency not your EMTs: Why should the police be called in an emergency? Because they are not “ours”? Because they are a government agency? Because they are better equipped and better trained than “our” EMTs? When someone is in an emergency, all they care about is someone coming as fast as possible to help them. Hatzalah’s response time is much faster than the police’s.
In short, Paul, your response is thinly veiled hatred and frustration for what you would likely deem an invasion from neighboring Lakewood. But guess what? To use YOUR OWN WORDS: if you don’t like it then leave.
Excuse me but im trying to understand, someone who’s having a medical emergency should call the police? Please elaborate so we can fully understand your backwards logic or are you just trying to insinuate something else!
what a stupid comment My baby in siezures does not need a police officer but a fast emt response
Dashcam and video. Otherwise it’s he said she said.
The worst police force in America
Many years ago in Brooklyn there was an officer D. Britt who tried to pull over a Hatzoloh volunteer who was on a call with his lights and sirens going. The volunteer ignored the cop and kept going to the scene, where he got out to render assistance. The cop drew his gun and threatened to shoot the volunteer if he did not stop. The volunteer replied, “This is a life and death emergency. I am going to render assistance. You do what you have to do.” The cop was written up later, but this is nothing new. Cowboys will always be around. It is up to management (and a Civilian Complaint Review Board) to rein them in and take responsibility.