New Jersey State Police investigating trooper who went missing over tattoos linked to white supremacy

New Jersey State Police are investigating a trooper after photos of him that circulated following his disappearance from a medical center in Delaware County showed tattoos that may have ties to white supremacy.

Detective Jason Dare was found March 24, five days after leaving a Media medical facility, NJ.com reports. When he went missing, authorities launched a dayslong search that included photos posted to social media showing Dare. In one photo, a tattoo on Dare’s lower neck reading “Blood Honor” can be seen.

The slogan “Blood & Honour” was used by the Hitler youth, and is associated with a number of white supremacist groups, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League. The British spelling of the word honor is typically used, and the ampersand is often replaced with a triskele symbol.

Internet users also began combing through Dare’s now-private social media accounts after the photo of his tattoo spread, saying they found photos of iron cross tattoos on his wrists and the head of a pit bull on his chest, NJ.com reports. The pit bull symbol is associated with Keystone United, a Pennsylvania-based racist skinhead group that is “one of the largest and most active” in the country, according to SPLC.

State police have since deleted a number of social media posts showing photos of Dare. It was not immediately clear why the posts were deleted.

Col. Patrick Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said in a statement that he was “aware of the concerns regarding tattoos” on Dare’s body, and that an internal investigation is looking into the matter. The investigation is being conducted by unspecified law enforcement partners, and Dare is on administrative leave.

“There is no room for hate, prejudicial rhetoric, or divisive behavior in our organization, an organization that was built on our core values of honor, duty, and fidelity,” Callahan said in a statement. “We live and work in a very diverse state and our law enforcement community should reflect that as well.”

Dare, 46, of Cumberland County, has been with the state police since 2004, Callahan said. When he went missing, authorities provided few details about why he was in a Pennsylvania medical facility, but said that they had reason to believe he was at risk of harm, 6abc reports. He went missing near the Penn State Brandywine campus, and was found days later in the Middletown Township area.

According to the New Jersey State Police’s recruitment materials online, the organization does not allow applicants to have tattoos or other forms of body art on their “face, head, neck, scalp, hands, or any part of the exposed body.” Additionally, policy states that tattoos cannot be “prejudicial to good order, discipline, or [cause] a discredit” to the trooper or agency.

In 2016, the Philadelphia Police Department became embroiled in a similar controversy after photos of an on-duty officer with a tattoo of a spread-winged eagle under the word “Fatherland” circulated online. That officer, Ian Lichterman, was later cleared of wrongdoing following an internal investigation and left the force in 2018. Following that incident, Philadelphia police implemented a policy requiring officers to cover up offensive tattoos.

“I understand the importance of transparency and trust between law enforcement and the community, which is why we have enlisted the assistance of our law enforcement partners to conduct a thorough investigation,” Callahan said. “We want the communities we serve to be our partners and I stand united with them as well as the troopers and other law enforcement professionals who work tirelessly to dedicate themselves to strengthening these relationships.”