PATERSON, NJ – Paterson is a city where even mayors have criminal records and rampant political corruption drips from the halls of town hall. It wasn’t too long ago that former Mayor Jose Torres went to prison for using public resources to do political and personal favors.
Shortly afterward, six Paterson cops were busted by the FBI for stealing over $400,000 from the city.
In 2020, four people were charged with election fraud, including Michael Jackson, an incumbent city councilman, and councilman-elect Alex Mendez.
Now, the Paterson Police Department is facing public and state scrutiny for wrongdoing after a police-involved shooting earlier this month.
Crime is surging in Paterson. Shootings are on the rise. The people of the city don’t feel safe and they definitely don’t have any trust in the Paterson Police Department or the city to protect them.
This week, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General stepped in and assumed control of the Paterson Police Department.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today said his office is taking over and assuming control of all police functions, including internal affairs investigations, effective immediately.
The new person in charge of the Paterson Police Department is Isa Abbassi, a twenty-five-year veteran of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and its current Chief of Strategic Initiatives. The New Jersey State Police will assist Abbassi in managing the department.
“Due to a number of events and concerns relating to the Paterson Police Department, there is a crisis of confidence in law enforcement in the City of Paterson,” said Attorney General Platkin. “People throughout Paterson deserve a public safety system that protects and serves all members of its community, just as the members of the Paterson Police Department deserve adequate resources, support, and innovation from their leadership. Chief Abbassi is an experienced, proven leader who has built community trust and achieved excellence through his innovation at the highest levels of law enforcement in this country. I am grateful for his service and I look forward to working with him to ensure public safety in Paterson. I am committed to restoring public confidence in the Paterson Police Department, which includes providing the officers on the force the support, resources, supervision, and training they need to be an exemplary police department.”
The state will try to fix the core problems facing the department, which has greatly eroded the public trust in the department.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy applauded the move today.
“I applaud Attorney General Platkin for taking bold action to bring change to Paterson’s Police Department. In Paterson, it has unfortunately become clear that there is a deep lack of trust between the police and the community they serve. This not only harms public safety, but it also makes it more difficult and dangerous for law enforcement officers to do their jobs. I am confident that the Attorney General’s actions will ensure needed reform and give police officers in Paterson the resources, support, and training they need to effectively build trust and serve their community,” Murphy said. “I am also grateful that Attorney General Platkin has announced that he will bring ARRIVE Together to Paterson. This groundbreaking initiative represents a sea change on emergency response to individuals facing mental health crises, and will decrease the danger to everyone involved. I was proud to announce funding in this year’s budget that would expand ARRIVE Together to every community in the state, and I look forward to the residents of Paterson benefiting from this important work.”