Retirements leave Paterson Police Department down 32 officers from full force of 439
PATERSON — Ten Paterson police officers retired Thursday, leaving the city with 32 fewer cops than what officials consider a full force.
After these retirements, Paterson will have 407 officers, including some on administrative leave or desk duty because of pending criminal charges or other investigations, officials said. But the state-approved Table of Organization for Paterson says the department should have 439 cops, and 13 years ago the city had about 525.
How many cops does Paterson need?
On paper, Paterson had reached its full-force figure of 439 last April, when the city hired 29 new recruits and sent them to the police academy for training. But not all those recruits successfully completed their training.
That’s been the situation for years, as city officials essentially have been pouring water into a bucket with holes in it as they hire new recruits while other cops leave Paterson for better-paying jobs in the suburbs or retire.
“We’ve had this problem for more than 10 years,” said Paterson Policemen's Benevolent Association President Angel Jiminez. “But nobody does anything to fix it. They just keep kicking the can down the road.”
Despite having less than a full police force, Paterson achieved significant reductions in violent crime in 2023. But that achievement was reached as local law enforcement officials deployed cops on overtime to target high-crime areas.
'Boots on the ground work': Paterson closes 2023 with major reduction in crime
To pay for the overtime, the cash-strapped city used a portion of the $10 million in extra funding the state allocated for the Paterson police as part of the state takeover of the department. State officials have not revealed whether that $10 million represented a one-time infusion in funding or extra money the city can count on regularly.
Police union leaders have asserted the city needs far more cops than the 439 maximum that is set by the state. A police spokesman said state-appointed Officer in Charge Isa Abbassi is still in the process of assessing the department’s staffing needs.
April 2023: After state takeover of department, Paterson hires 29 new police recruits
What did officials say?
Mayor Andre Sayegh did not provide a direct answer on Wednesday when asked if he thought the 439 limit was sufficient. Instead, his spokesperson pointed to the hiring of 200 officers in the almost six years he has been in office.
Union leaders said Sayegh has contributed to the understaffing of the department by allowing the department’s employment contract to remain unsettled for 4½ years so that many cops have not gotten new raises. They said the low pay is one of the reasons city cops take jobs elsewhere.
“You have a police workforce that doesn't feel like they’re being supported by this administration,” said Mason Maher, president of the superior officers' union.
Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press. Email: editor@patersonpress.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson NJ: Police Department force reduced with retirements
