Hostile takeover of NJ police department is illegal, court rules

🚓 Appellate court strikes down state takeover of Paterson police

🚓 Attorney general says crime is down under state control

🚓 Mayor says city needs resources not intervention

PATERSON — It's illegal for state authorities to forcefully take control of a local police department, a New Jersey court has ruled.

On Wednesday, the state's appellate decision found the Attorney General's Office had no authority to supersede the Paterson Police Department without consent from the city's officials. It's been 21 months since the city had control of its police force.

The court ruled that the state must give back control to Paterson and that Engelbert Ribeiro be reinstated as chief of police.

Ribeiro had been chief for just 24 days before the OAG replaced him with Officer-in-Charge Isa Abbassi in March 2023. Mayor Andre Sayegh previously said Ribeiro had planned sweeping reforms but didn't have time to implement them.

Attorney General Matthew Platkin said the state has appealed the decision to the New Jersey Supreme Court. A stay has been issued by the state's highest court pending the outcome of the case.

"As our appeal proceeds, the PPD will continue to run as it has since March 2023: ensuring public safety while strengthening community trust. Any attempt to obstruct PPD operations is unlawful," Platkin said.

Crime in Paterson is down

The state takeover came less than a month after a fatal police-involved shooting in Paterson on March 3, 2023.

Najee Seabrooks, 31, was shot and killed by police officers after a standoff that lasted nearly five hours. A state investigation found Seabrooks was shot after he lunged at police officers.

Platkin said supersession was necessary in Paterson after a "fundamental breakdown of community trust."

"Since then, murders, shootings, sexual assaults, robberies, and other violent crime in Paterson have all plummeted, while officer morale and community trust have dramatically improved," Platkin said.

Paterson police need resources not new leadership

Mayor Andre Sayegh applauded the court's decision as a "victory for democracy." He said it prevents the state from pushing its unwanted help on other municipalities.

Sayegh also accused Platkin, who was appointed by Gov. Phil Murphy, of using the takeover as a maneuver to further his political career.

"I was elected to represent the people of Paterson and he muted their voices by taking this illegal action. And quite frankly, the court just issued a very resounding rebuke," Sayegh said.

"We didn't need a takeover. We needed resources," he said.

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In 2011, the city cut 125 police officers from its police department. Paterson has hired nearly 200 cops in the last six years but many of its struggles can be traced back to those cuts, Sayegh said.

Ribeiro will be rehired once the city has local control again, Sayegh said.

Sayegh said the city is also in contact with the Miller Center on Policing at Rutgers University to improve how the Paterson police serves its residents.

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