The North Bergen Police Department promoted 15 of their brothers and sisters in blue last night, including adding a new deputy chief, two inspectors and the 1st Latina captain in Hudson County history.
“15 promotions: that’s just amazing, I don’t know if that actually happens in the State of New Jersey. Never! I thought a couple years ago when we decided to do a promotion ceremony at the recreation center that was amazing and nothing compared to this promotion,” reflected Public Safety Commissioner Allen Pascual.
“With that, I’m very proud to be up here and be a part of this ceremony.”
Mayor Nick Sacco, also the state senator of the 32nd Legislative District, spoke about what the department was like in 1985 when he was first elected commissioner: 88 officers on the force with just two police cars, meaning that the majority of the cops took the bus to work.
“And at that time in history, our crime rate was higher than the state average and the county average. It just reflected exactly what was going on. It took a lot of time and a lot of work: the first thing we did was buy cars and the second thing was to build up the ranks but it was hard to do because the town was also bankrupt at that time.”
Capt. Cynthia Montero, who was also the first Latina police sergeant and lieutenant in Hudson County history, will now be assigned as the Administrative Division Commander overseeing the department’s Internal Affairs Unit, the Chief’s Office and the Information Technology Unit.
“Today, Captain Cynthia Montero will become the first female in the history of the North Bergen Police Department to rise to the rank of captain and she will also be the 1st Latina in the history of Hudson County to hold the rank of captain,” Dowd said of the 13-year department veteran, to a loud ovation from the audience.
Sacco and Pascual administered the oaths of office for each of the officers being promoted.
The others that were promoted during yesterday ceremony are as follows:
Deputy Chief
William Lyons
Inspector
David Corbisiero
Robert Farley Jr.
Captain
James Gaughran
David Dowd
Jorge Raposo
Lieutenant
Nicholas Galliano
Michele Bartoli-Suarez
Alex J. Barrios
Victor Queiro
Sergeant
Peter Insetta
Roberto Maldonado
Santiago Hernandez
Shannon Tattoli
