PATERSON, N.J. — Tensions have risen between Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh and New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin following a brazen robbery that was captured on surveillance video last Friday. The incident, which occurred at a barbershop on Main Street, has prompted Sayegh to call for an end to the state’s control of the city’s police department.
The robbery, which took place just before 2 p.m., involved a group of masked men carrying long guns who stormed the barbershop and robbed at least five people. The suspects stole cash, jewelry, phones, and a key fob before fleeing the scene. No injuries were reported in the barbershop incident.
Later that same evening, a separate robbery occurred at a nearby smoke shop on West Broadway, where a gunman shot and injured a 48-year-old man, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office. The victim was hospitalized in stable condition. Officials have not confirmed whether the two robberies are connected.
“These individuals wielding assault rifles—near a cathedral, near a school—this is unprecedented,” said Mayor Sayegh. “I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ve never seen anything like this.”
In March 2023, Attorney General Platkin’s office took over control of the Paterson Police Department following a series of incidents involving police misconduct. However, Mayor Sayegh has been openly critical of the state’s intervention, arguing that it has failed to improve public safety.
“It’s time for Matt Platkin’s failed political experiment to end,” Sayegh said. His legal team is currently challenging the legality of the state’s takeover in court.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office defended the state’s efforts, noting that shootings and homicides in Paterson have been on the decline, but acknowledged that the city continues to face challenges with violent crime.
