Mayor Andre Sayegh says that when he took office in Paterson in 2018, there was police misconduct, and that he has worked to address it.
“Paterson police officers didn’t wear body cameras prior to my administration; now they wear body cameras. There was never really a thorough audit of the police department to see what type of practices were taking place. We completed that audit. One of the major recommendations was increased focus on de-escalation and training your police officers — which they’ve undergone, the extra de-escalation training,” Sayegh said.
But many describe community-police relations in Paterson as still “toxic.” A wrongful death allegation involving Thelonius McKnight, who was shot and killed by Paterson police nearly a year ago, is one of several made against Paterson police in recent years. Law enforcement leaders there say they would support greater reforms to hold officers accountable.
Calls for reform in Paterson echo those heard in Newark nearly a decade ago. Capt. Leonardo Carrillo said reforms in Newark included “policies around biased policing; community policing; stop, search and arrest practices, use of force and First Amendment right to record police activity.”
