The North Bergen Police Department “is united with our community” ahead of tomorrow’s George Floyd protest at James J. Braddock Park, Chief Peter Fasilis said.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“The Township of North Bergen is an extremely diverse community which is represented and served by an equally diverse police department. The NBPD is united with our community because our ranks are filled with residents who come from the community we serve,” Fasilis said in a statement this evening.
“We pride ourselves on the rapport we have been able to build with our residents through various community engagement activities we partake in throughout the years. We empathize with the community’s desire to peacefully protest the heinous murder of George Floyd and acts of systemic racism that minorities have been subjected to in the criminal justice system.”
He further stated that the department has been in contact with the protest organizers to ensure that everything goes safely and smoothly, commending his colleague’s continued efforts to keep township safe and working with the community.
“I am extremely proud of the work the brave men and women of this department do each and every day to guarantee the safety of the people of North Bergen,” Fasilis added.
“We look forward to continuing to work with members of our community to keep people safe and listen to their voices on how best to serve and protect them. Our main priority has and will always be public safety in North Bergen.â€
Tomorrow’s protest is scheduled to start at 3 p.m., with demonstrators meeting just outside of Braddock Park on the corner of 79th Street and Bergenline Avenue and marching until they reach near Celia Cruz Park in Union City.
The event is being organized by James de los Santos, the owner of Hudpost.com.
“This event sets the precedence of fostering meaningful relationships between local authorities and the community at large,” he said in his own statement.
“Open dialogues have been initiated and must continue in order to address and improve the community and how it is governed and policed.”
Following George Floyd’s murder, there have been three demonstrations in Hudson County this week: two in Jersey City and one in Hoboken and they were all peaceful.
