Mayor Torres to swear in 21 new police officers
By Jayed Rahman
Published: July 15, 2015
21 new police officers will join the ranks of the Paterson Police Department on Monday afternoon when mayor Jose “Joey” Torres swears them in during a ceremony in city hall.
“As Mayor, I have a duty and an obligation to do whatever I can to protect the good and decent citizens of Paterson and lay the seeds for improving the quality of their lives while enhancing the opportunity for growth and prosperity,” said Torres in a statement on Monday.
Torres promised to hire 100 police officers during his term in office. Last July, the mayor added 26 police officers to the force. This year, on top of hiring the 21 regular officer, the city will swear in 21 special police officers who have the power to tackle quality-of-life crimes like loud music.
“This is a great day for the City of Paterson and for our police department,” said police director Jerry Speziale. “Mayor Torres and I will continue to make every effort to strengthen not only the ranks of the department but our relationship with the community and our commitment to the safety and security of all who live, work and visit our City.”
Since taking office last July, Torres has hired 68 law enforcement officers including the 21 special police officers set for deployment on Monday.
“Today we take another step forward towards honoring my commitment to add an additional 100 police officers to the force and I welcome these new recruits as shining symbols of progress and as my partners in the fight to preserve this city’s greatness,” commented Torres.
The mayor will swear in the new officers Monday at 10 a.m. in city council chambers.