A New Jersey state trooper who sparked a multi-day search after disappearing from a medical rehabilitation facility in Pennsylvania was fired following an internal investigation into his white supremacist-linked tattoos, state records show.
An internal probe taken over by the state Office of Public Integrity and Accountability found Trooper Jason Dare violated State Police policies involving social media and conflicts of interest in part due to his “visible tattoos associated with groups espousing racist ideology.”
Dare could not be reached for comment. The fired trooper first drew public attention in March 2023 after he was seen walking away from an unspecified medical facility in Media, Pennsylvania.
His disappearance prompted the New Jersey State Police to take the unusual step of putting out a public alert, treating it as a missing persons case.
Comments on the division’s social media posts soon began raising questions about the trooper’s tattoos, however, including a “Blood Honor” neck tattoo visible in the photos posted by police.
“Blood and honor” was a slogan of the Hitler youth. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a variation is also associated with an array of skinhead gangs.
Users on Twitter and reddit began combing through Dare’s then-public Facebook page, flagging other photos showing iron cross tattoos on his wrists and the head of a pitbull, which is an image connected to a Pennsylvania skinhead group according to the anti-Defamation League.
The State Police later deleted the post.
After he was found, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said his office was taking over an internal investigation into the trooper.
Authorities have not commented on the case since or responded to questions about the circumstances surrounding Dare’s disappearance. Dare has not commented.
A recently published report by the State Police summarizing major disciplinary cases shows Dare was fired last year, providing some new details into his disappearance and the probe into alleged ties to hate groups that followed.
An internal investigation found Dare “violated the terms of a previously negotiated plea agreement for misconduct by leaving a medical facility without making proper notification.”
The case summary claims Dare also entered “an unoccupied residence in Pennsylvania without permission” and “discharged one round from a shotgun through the front window of his residence.”
It makes no mention of his tattoos, but does list the department policies he was found to have violated, including making false statements, going absent without leave, abusing sick time, disobeying orders, mishandling a firearm and violating “uniform and grooming standards.”
In response to an inquiry Monday from NJ Advance Media, a spokeswoman for Platkin, Sharon Lauchaire, said Dare was fired November 27 following the OPIA investigation.
She did not respond to questions regarding whether Dare could still face criminal charges, or the circumstances around his disappearance. State authorities also declined to provide details about the window shooting.
“As I have said before, there is no place for hate in the New Jersey State Police or within the ranks of the more than 40,000 sworn law enforcement officers in New Jersey,” Platkin said in a provided statement.
“The vast majority of law enforcement officers work hard to build and nurture trust with the communities we serve. When members of law enforcement are perceived to be associated with groups espousing hate or discrimination, it destroys that trust and jeopardizes the safety of our residents and officers.”
A State Police spokesman said Dare was with the division for 19 years.
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S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X.
