The Jersey City Police Department swore in 15 new officers at a City Hall ceremony this morning, with 14 of them representing minority populations.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“With today’s class, we are marking an important milestone as nearly all of the newly sworn police officers are minorities representing Jersey City’s unparalleled diversity. In fact, 14 of the 15 new officers grew up in the very community that they swore to serve when they took today’s oath,” Mayor Steven Fulop said in a statement.
“To the new officers, you are joining the best police department anywhere. We are proud of our police officers and the work they do every day in Jersey City. Our officers serve honorably. They have made the city safer. They are an example for the rest of the state and this country of what a police department can be.”
Since Fulop took office in 2013, the administration has hired a total of 777 police officers and about three quarters (75 percent) of those officers are minorities, his office said.
To that end, the new recruits sworn in today include 10 Hispanic officers, 4 women, one Egyptian officer, and one of Guyanese descent.
“Our officers are out in the community every single day, and the fact that they look and sound like the residents they are helping is a win-win for everyone,” added Public Safety Director James Shea.
“As we’ve transformed the department over the past 10 years with greater diversity, we have seen incredible improvements, especially in terms of police/community relations,” added Director Shea.
The new officers are Matthew T. Dym, Kiara Brito, Luigi J. Epsinal, Mario A. Mintella, Luis R. Luna, Victor R. Rivera, Alex E. Severino, Nada M. Alateek, Alyssa L. Hennessey, Alberto Mauricio, Nathan J. Ramlall, Joshua D. Salgado, Rafael Mercedes Jr., Delina A. Garcia, and Freddie J. Guacamaya.
