PATERSON – Mayor Andre Sayegh today announced that the Paterson Police Department would publish a list of all current or former officers who in the past twenty years have been fired, demoted, or suspended for more than five days due to a disciplinary violation. The list of names, along with a summary of the violation, will be published no later than July 15, 2020.
Officials said Paterson is the first town in New Jersey to make this commitment.
On June 15, 2020, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and New Jersey State Police (NJSP) Superintendent Patrick Callahan announced that NJSP would publish a similar list for all State Troopers who have been fired, demoted, or suspended for more than five days since 2000.
NJSP’s list also will be released no later than July 15, 2020.
Going forward, Paterson will begin publishing an annual list of officers subject to similar disciplinary sanctions.
Such lists were mandated by Attorney General Grewal in a statewide order issued on June 15. Under the order, the first annual list must be released by December 31, 2020.
“I appreciate the Attorney General's redoubtable and remarkable leadership,” said Mayor Andre Sayegh. “Last year, I unveiled my tools of trust to improve the relationship between our police department and the public.
This initiative will help us reassure Patersonians that we take protecting and serving our city very seriously.”
“I applaud Mayor Sayegh for doing the right thing,” said Attorney General Grewal. “Today’s announcement is a demonstration of real courage, and it shows his commitment to transparency and accountability in policing. If New Jersey is going to be a national leader in policing reform, we must reckon with our past. By identifying officers subject to serious discipline, we deter future misconduct and allow us to begin the process of rebuilding trust with the community.”
Today’s announcement follow a series of statewide efforts to strengthen police-community trust, including a statewide ban on chokeholds and plans to update the state’s Use of Force Policy for the first time in two decades. To learn more, visit nj.gov/oag/excellence.