WAYNE — The Paterson Police Department is welcoming the the newest police officers to the Paterson Police Department. The graduates were recognized for completing the comprehensive training requirements of the Passaic County Police Academy Graduation at the Passaic County Technical Institute. The addition of these new officers will bring the number of police officers on the force in the City of Paterson to more than 420.
“These officers represent the Next Generation of the Paterson Police Department,” said Officer in Charge Isa M. Abbassi. “The law enforcement profession is not an easy one, and I am happy to see these 26 officers answer the call to join our ranks and help us achieve our goal of improving public safety in Paterson. I would like to thank the Passaic County Police Academy for its continued partnership and top-tier training of our officers.”
In the academy, the new officers received 23 weeks of training covering a broad range of topics including criminal law, motor vehicle law, first responder instruction including CPR and first aid, opioid reversal training, use of force, handling incidents of domestic violence, working with individuals with special needs, firearm proficiency, physical fitness, and officer resiliency. Each officer has also completed an Integrating Communications Assessment and Tactics (ICAT) course, which provides law enforcement officers with the tools, skills, and options they need to successfully and safely defuse a range of critical incidents with limited use of force. ICAT became a requirement for all officers in late 2020 as a result of revisions to the state’s Use of Force Policy through AG Directive 2020-13.
As these new officers begin their careers, they will continue their training alongside field training officers who will guide them as they join the department. Part of their training will be through the Neighborhood Revitalization Concept, where they will walk an area of the city known for quality-of-life issues.
The 26 new officers represent the city’s rich cultural diversity with ten Hispanic officers, six White officers, four Black officers, two Asian officers, and four officers of Middle Eastern descent. Five of the 26 were not born in the United States: one was born in Palestine, one in Jamaica, one in Honduras, one in the Dominican Republic and one in Bangladesh. Six officers are fluent in Spanish, three are fluent in Arabic, two are fluent in Bengali, and one is fluent in Patois, which is an English-based creole language spoken in Jamaica. Twenty-five of the officers are male, and one is female.
These officers are diverse in age as well; the youngest officer is 20, and the oldest is 35. The new officers know Paterson very well, as 22 of them live within the city.
Another eight recruits are currently going through the Bergen County Police Academy. Both the Passaic County and Bergen County academies are certified by the Police Training Commission, the state-level agency responsibility for ensuring comprehensive training for law enforcement officers. Various academies serve the state’s local police departments to train officers for their new and demanding careers and ensure that they receive all required training to be prepared to join the more than 38,000 law enforcement officers serving New Jersey.