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Funding Police: Paterson Gets $1.9 Million To Hire More Police Officers, Attack Gun Violence

With gun violence rising as quickly as cries in some national quarters to defund police, Paterson is receiving nearly $1.9 million to hire 10 new officers to fight back, Mayor Andre Sayegh formally announced Friday.

Paterson police

Paterson police

Photo Credit: Paterson Ceasefire Unit

The $1.88 million U.S. Department of Justice COPS grant is the largest amount received in this round by any law enforcement agency in New Jersey and "comes at a pivotal point in time," he said.

For one thing, the mayor said, it “will allow the City of Paterson to hire 10 new officers," which "allow for expanded support in reducing gun violence."

The news comes amid a rising wave of violence in the Silk City, stoked by a national movement to make policing reactive instead of proactively protecting the public from harm.

“Recent and senseless acts of violence demonstrate that we need to be more vigilant than ever, addressing threats that take young lives and instill fear," Sayegh said.

Four men were slain in a late-night shooting Tuesday at a notorious Paterson street corner, raising this year's death total from gun violence in the Silk City to 15. There were 16 all of last year.

Several others were wounded in the street corner shooting, increasing that total to 60 this year.

SEE: Four Killed In Shooting At Notorious Paterson Street Corner

Officers in many communities have candidly said they see a growing sense of lawlessness in the country.

Sayegh, however, has emphasized that his priority is “the safety of Patersonians and getting guns off the street.”

In a little over half a year, city police – at times working in tandem with the Passaic County prosecutor’s and sheriff’s officers – have seized more than 100 firearms.

"As we bolster our public safety efforts, my administration remains committed to building trust between local police officers and residents, while keeping our community safe," the mayor added. "This has been made evident by an ongoing audit of our Police Department that was aimed at ensuring best practices. 

"The Police Department will further focus on fostering police and citizen contact, in-service training adjustments, citizen complaint mediation, and data collection to support problem solving," Sayegh said.

"We are focused on striking the right balance for Paterson," he said.

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