Hackensack Police Director Ray Guidetti Stepping Down, City Says

The City of Hackensack made the announcement on Thursday, March 6. Guidetti said he will step down at the end of March.

Guidetti's departure comes after "taking on a culture of corruption that had infected the Hackensack Police Department when he was appointed in 2022, and instituting major reforms with the goal of bringing the Department back to its rightful position as a premier law enforcement agency in Bergen County," the release says.

Guidetti was appointed "after a storied law enforcement career to clean up a police department dominated by a handful of highly paid superior officers scheming to line their own pockets working excessive 'extra-duty details' instead of focusing on the jobs they were paid to do," the release says. The announcement specifically names Hackensack PBA President Lt. Anthony DiPersia, saying he pocketed over $47,720 in extra duty work (597 hours) in 2021, bringing his total compensation to over $225,000 for that year alone. 

"Five police superior officers collected over $200,000 in extra duty pay in 2021," it reads. "After Director Guidetti’s reforms, those same top superiors collected just $14,000 last year."

The Hackensack PBA released a statement following the city's announcement on Thursday, (which apparently came as a surprise to multiple HPD officers), saying, "It couldn't have come soon enough.

"So much for the one-year extension the Mayor and Council touted just a day after the unions delivered a vote of no confidence in him. Over the past two years, the Director has driven a wedge between the Police Department and the community, unraveling years of dedicated efforts by our officers to build strong, positive relationships.

"This announcement was yet another attempt to cast doubt on the hardworking men and women of this department, once again reviving false allegations of corruption. Every claim of impropriety has been thoroughly investigated, with no wrongdoing found. The city even went as far as requesting the Attorney General review of their baseless allegations."

In announcing his departure, Guidetti cited "hundreds of thousands of dollars" wasted by financial mismanagement, overtime pay abuses, and a "glaring lack of actual police work" before he took the helm.

Mayor John Labrosse said Guidetti made the difference for the city's law enforcement agency.

“When we brought in Ray Guidetti, the Hackensack Police Department was in crisis,” he said. “Public safety had been compromised, hundreds of thousands of dollars were being siphoned off by a select few, and some entitled police superior officers seemed more focused on padding their paychecks than serving the public. Ray stood up to that entrenched system, and because of his efforts, Hackensack is better off today.”

The city's announcement said that Guidetti’s appointment followed an independent audit that exposed staggering financial abuse and a lack of accountability within the Department, the city's news release says. The findings revealed:

• Nearly $1 million in overtime spending in a single year - a 26.6% increase.
• Officers collecting an additional $1.8 million in extra-duty detail pay - more than double the amount from 2016.
• High-ranking officers improperly taking on dispatcher roles at overtime rates of up to $140 per hour - jobs that could have been filled by lower-cost civilian employees.
• Officers double-dipping by getting paid for two jobs at the same time. A particularly egregious scheme involved "split shifts," where officers would start their regular shift, leave in the middle of it to work a lucrative extra-duty traffic detail, then return later to finish their shift—effectively collecting two paychecks for the same hours worked.
• A Department-wide decline in performance, with arrests, citations, and other law enforcement metrics plummeting by more than 80% over seven years, even as calls for service remained steady.

“The reality is Hackensack taxpayers were paying the price while a select few profited,” said Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino. “Director Guidetti refused to let that continue.”

Labrosse spoke to the difficulty of police reform.

Under Guidetti’s leadership, the department underwent a series of sweeping reforms to restore accountability and professionalism, the announce says:

• Cracked down on double-dipping and extra-duty abuses, implementing strict scheduling and oversight policies to prevent officers from getting paid for two jobs at the same time.
• Strengthened accountability and oversight, ensuring that financial abuses were eliminated and officers were focused on serving the public, not personal enrichment.
• Expanded community engagement and outreach, improving trust between the police and Hackensack residents.
• Established a Safe Street Operations Control Center, leveraging location-based data and drone technology for crime prevention and resource allocation.
• Implemented cutting-edge public safety technologies, providing officers with the tools needed for modern policing and improved criminal investigations.
• Developed a School Threat Assessment and Crime Prevention Bureau, ensuring proactive threat response capabilities and enhancing school safety.
• Enhanced officer training and leadership development, setting a new standard for professionalism and preparedness.
• Partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance Collaborative Reform Initiative, reinforcing best practices in leadership, community policing, and officer wellness.
• Achieved re-accreditation by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP), a prestigious milestone that reflects the Department’s adherence to the highest standards of professionalism and accountability—an achievement that all police departments in the state aspire to reach.

One of Guidetti’s most lasting contributions was his commitment to developing the next generation of police leadership - culminating in the appointment of Chief Michael Antista, the first Chief of Police in Hackensack in 14 years.

While stepping down from his role, Guidetti remains confident in the direction of the department and the leadership now in place.

“I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together,” Guidetti said. “The Hackensack Police Department is stronger, more accountable, and better equipped to serve the community than ever before. I leave knowing that the department is in great hands under Chief Antista and the dedicated officers who work tirelessly every day to keep this city safe.

"The City of Hackensack will ensure a smooth transition in the coming weeks, guaranteeing that the progress made under Guidetti’s leadership continues uninterrupted," the release concludes.

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