HACKENSACK – The Paterson Police Department today announced that 10 new police officers have graduated the Bergen County Police Academy and have joined the department. The graduates were recognized at a ceremony at Bergen County Academies High School in Hackensack for completing the comprehensive training requirements of the academy. Five of the graduating officers join family members who are already active law enforcement officers within the department.
“We welcome these 10 new officers as they join Paterson’s finest,” said Officer in Charge Isa M. Abbassi. “The police profession is often a family business, and that is no different here in Paterson. As these new officers follow in the footsteps of their family members, it demonstrates the confidence our veteran officers have in the trajectory of this department and the future of our city as they encourage the next generation of their own families to join the next generation of the PPD.”
While 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 Attorney General Directive 2020-13.
The training does not end here for these new police officers. They will spend the next six months within the Paterson Police Department’s training division, where part of their first assignment will include walking a beat in an area of the city, getting to know what’s important to Paterson residents. During that time, they will also spend select days with a veteran Paterson police officer to gain valuable patrol experience.
The majority of the new officers live in Paterson, and the class reflects the city’s rich diversity representing Hispanic, Black, and Middle Eastern cultures, with one officer born in the Dominican Republic, one born in Peru, and another in Palestine. Three officers are fluent in Spanish, three are fluent in Arabic, and one is fluent in French Creole. Seven of the officers are male, and three are female, ranging from the youngest being 21 years old and the oldest being 34.
The Bergen County Police Academy is certified by the Police Training Commission, the state-level agency responsible 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.