Paterson Police Department Announces Successes of Summer Strategy in Improving Public Safety while Strengthening Community Relations

PATERSON – Officer in Charge Isa Abbassi announced the results of the Paterson Police Department’s Summer Strategy. The department developed an innovative new strategy specifically designed for 2024 with an emphasis on building and strengthening community relations while improving trust and safety within the city following the historic crime reductions seen in the summer of 2023.

PPD saw community engagement like never before to bring police and the community together this summer while bridging gaps and redefining neighborhood policing. The Safe Parks/Safe Spaces program saw Paterson Police officers in Vera Ames Park, Tyrone Collins Park, and Roberto Clemente Park on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sunday evenings. In addition, six PPD Days of Play were held in each of the city’s wards. Children and families enjoyed fun, games and food in their neighborhoods in order to enjoy the summer months in a safe and dynamic environment.

This was the first full summer with officers in the Community Affairs Division in their new uniforms. During the summer they not only hosted the above events but also engaged with seniors by hosting events just for them, hosted their annual anti-violence summer camp for city youth, hosted a men’s conference, and planned for an upcoming women’s conference.

PPD also worked on its Clergy and Advisory Councils, which are meant to bridge the gap between the police and the community. These community advisors act as advocates for the community to have a direct contact to the top management of the police department, which has allowed PPD to make informed decisions about policing strategies and where different types of outreach are needed.

“We are continuing to build upon our successes of last summer with another year of historic reductions in gun violence,” said Officer in Charge Abbassi. “But our mission goes far beyond shootings and crime statistics. We are here to make change, improve quality of life, build trust and improve services to those who have been historically under-served. This summer we were able to achieve much of that through our innovative outreach and programming.”

This year the Paterson Police Department has continued its historic reduction in gun violence through precision policing and data-informed deployment strategies. Paterson saw the lowest number of year-to-date homicides, the lowest number of year-to-date shooting victims and the lowest number of multi-victim shootings in over three years. After significant reductions in most crime measures, including all violent crime categories, in 2023, when overall crime dropped by 5% in the first full year of operations since the supersession, most crime measurements continued to decrease or remained relatively flat year-to-date.

The historic decreases in gun violence can be partly attributed to the use of the new Real Time Operations Center (RTOC) and Field Intelligence Program. The RTOC has allowed for efficient deployment of resources and management of “live” emergencies as well as improved communications and notifications to officers. With the Field Intelligence Unit, valuable intelligence is shared efficiently and quickly internally as well as with law enforcement partners on a county, state, and federal level. Additionally, a new position was created within the department, Citywide Operations Commander. Captain George Vasquez was named the first officer to hold that role, in which he reports directly to the Officer in Charge and oversees all of the department’s patrol and investigative deployment strategies to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of effort.

The Nightlife Task Force continued its work to specifically target illegal nightclubs and after-hours establishments in Paterson. These establishments are hotbeds for illegal alcohol sales, violent crime, drug and human trafficking, and gambling. Since its inception in March of this year, the task force has shut down dozens of illegal after-hours locations, made more than 150 arrests and filed hundreds of charges in relation to illegal nightlife activity in the city.