Police in traffic stop didn't deserve scolding

The now ex-commissioner was way out of line. She made a fool of herself, and she came across as a high-falutin' snob with a disdain for lowly civil servants.

However, there is more to this story. Tenafly Police Chief Robert Chamberlain has said that he was proud of the "composure, poise and restraint" shown by his two officers. But, as the son of a retired cop, it is clear to me that the officers could have handled the situation better and more professionally.

Savitsky could have de-escalated the incident and ended it in half the time. That's also part of good police work. When Turner pressed him as to why the car was being towed, the officer said that he didn't "appreciate" her "demeanor" and claimed that she was "being very demanding." Finally, he told Turner, "You have no right to know what's going on here. I'm under no legal obligation to tell you." When she made a snide comment about how he had "ruined" the students' weekend, he responded: "I didn't ruin anything. I'm just doing my job."

The back-and-forth was inappropriate. This wasn't a debate. Just end the standoff. Say goodbye, get in your squad car and drive away.

Of course, none of this lets Turner off the hook. She was 100 percent in the wrong, and she gave us all a glimpse of what the better and smarter "1 percent" thinks of the rest of us.

Let me say a word to the students who witnessed this spectacle up close and in real time.

Listen up, kids: Life's most valuable lessons don't come in the classroom. You should pursue a Ph.D. in people skills with an emphasis on how to treat people with respect. That will do you more good than degrees from fancy schools.

But what do I know? Despite a couple of degrees from a fancy school, I'm just the son of a lowly civil servant.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.