BY SHANNON MCLAUGHLIN
OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
TRENTON, N.J. —— Gov.-elect Phil Murphy announced his nomination of Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal for the position of state attorney general at a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
[slideshow_deploy id=’899′]
Grewal has been the county prosecutor for almost two years. He was appointed acting county prosecutor in January 2016 following the retirement of John Molinelli, and was sworn in as prosecutor later that year.
Previously, Grewal worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and for the Eastern District of New York. He began his legal career in private practice.
As Bergen County prosecutor, Grewal has made combatting the opioid crisis a prime law enforcement initiative.
“Operation Helping Hand” aimed to lower recidivism by offering treatment to arrested drug users. The Opioid Overdose Recovery Program, a partnership between county health agencies, offers “recovery specialists,” themselves former addicts, to speak with people at local hospitals who have been revived with Narcan after an overdose. The prosecutor’s office also offers an array of ongoing rehabilitation programs.
“Simply put, together we’ve done so much in Bergen County to ensure public safety, to ensure that the system works fairly, to ensure that people are treated with dignity and respect, and to ensure that those who are suffering from the disease of addiction or from other mental health illnesses get the help that they deserve,” Grewal said at the press conference.
“These are all initiatives that I know the governor-elect shares. They are all initiatives and programs that are required to implement his vision for a safer, for a stronger and for a fairer New Jersey … The opportunity to work with the governor-elect to achieve those successes that we’ve achieved in Bergen County on a state-wide level and even on a national level was simply an opportunity that I could not turn down,” Grewal said.
In regard to the state’s opioid epidemic, Murphy said New Jersey needs an attorney general who is experienced in combatting the issue.
“We need an attorney general who is equally committed to compassionate outcomes and erasing the stigma of addiction as he is to forcefully going after the sources of illicit drugs,” Murphy said.
[slideshow_deploy id=’899′]
Another facet of the state attorney general’s responsibilities that Murphy highlighted was fighting cybercrime. He called the attorney general position “more important today than perhaps at any point in our state’s history” due to this problem.
“We need an attorney general with the real-world experience at shutting down and successfully prosecuting these criminal operations, and Gurbir has done that,” Murphy said.
While an assistant U.S. attorney in New Jersey, Grewal served as chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and oversaw the investigation and prosecution of white collar and cybercrimes. In addition to prosecuting cybercrime as county prosecutor, Grewal has spoken about the impact of cyber and bias crimes at county law enforcement forums.
Following the announcement, county officials who have worked alongside Grewal offered their congratulations.
In a statement, Bergen County Freeholder Chairwoman Tracy Silna Zur said, “In his tenure in Bergen County, Gurbir Grewal has proven himself to be an exemplary prosecutor who commands the respect of the men and women who serve under him as well as our entire community.
“As we have tackled some of our greatest challenges, whether it be cyber bullying, the opioid addiction crisis or incidents of bias and hatred, Gurbir has led with strength and integrity. He has shown that one can be understanding and compassionate while still having a steadfast commitment to the law.”
Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino said he was “thrilled” with the news of Grewal’s appointment.
“Bergen County’s loss is New Jersey’s gain,” he said.
Current New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino, who Grewal will succeed next year, also offered his praise.
“Grewal is the kind of public servant who leaves his ego at the door and does the right thing for the right reasons. He’s smart, trustworthy and tenacious; qualities which will make him an extraordinarily successful attorney general. Looking forward to a smooth transition,” Porrino wrote on Twitter, adding “great choice.”
Grewal is again making history in New Jersey with his new appointment. Last year, he became the first South Asian county prosecutor in New Jersey history, and also the first of the Sikh religion. Upon his confirmation by the state senate, Grewal would become New Jersey’s first South Asian attorney general, and the first Sikh-American to serve as a state attorney general in the nation.
[slideshow_deploy id=’899′]
Mentioning why he entered public service, Grewal said, “I wanted to give back to a country that has given us, and other immigrant families like us, so much.”
“I wanted to perhaps also show people that while I and others like me may look different or worship differently, that we too are committed to this country. And second, as someone who has experienced hate and intolerance firsthand throughout my life, I wanted to work to ensure that we all live in, and that [my three daughters] grow up in a fair and just society.”
Grewal ended his speech by thanking Murphy, and saying that “the American dream is alive and well in New Jersey.”
Photo courtesy Twitter/Phil Murphy
Photo courtesy BCPO