Marina Fernandes was content with her job as a dispatcher for the North Bergen Police Department. A single mother of two boys, Edwin, 16, and Sergio, 6, Fernandes was happy that her job had security.
“I really liked what I was doing for the last two years,” said the 34-year-old Fernandes, a native of the Dominican Republic who grew up in Washington Heights but moved to Hudson County more than a decade ago. “After I graduated from college, I was always doing some kind of officework, but I found it really boring. I always had an interest in law enforcement, so this was perfect for me.”
Some of the officers in the department started to encourage Fernandes to take the next step and become an officer herself. “I have a lot of good friends in the department,” Fernandes said. “They were all encouraging me to take the test. I didn’t know at first if I could do it, but I took the test anyway. When I found out I was on the list, I couldn’t believe it.”
Fernandes placed among the top 10 percent in the state-mandated Civil Service Police Examination, which enabled her to be hired as a police officer. Now she’ll be responding to calls instead of answering them.
Fernandes was one of nine new police officers officially sworn in at a recent ceremony at Town Hall.
Fernandes was one of three female officers who received their badges last week, joining 23-year-old Erica Smallen and 20-year-old Saray Durango. It was the largest hiring of female police officers in the township’s history and brought the total of female officers in the department to seven out of the 121-member force.
Fernandes and Durango also have the distinction of being the first female Hispanic officers in the department. The other officers sworn in include 19-year-old Andrew Wietecha, whose father, Ted, is a retired North Bergen police detective; 20-year-old Anthony Ortiz; 26-year-old Otoniel Cruz; 20-year-old Craig Crespo; and a pair of brothers, 25-year-old Anthony Caramucci and his 19-year-old brother Brian.
Just two days after receiving their badges and taking their oaths, the group was sent to the Passaic County Police Academy, where they will spend the next 22 weeks learning all the proper procedures that go with becoming a police officer.
While in training, they will receive an annual salary of $22,000, which will increase to $25,000 once the training is completed.
Fernandes knows that the next five months will not be easy.
“I’m willing to give it a try,” Fernandes said. “I don’t have any military background, but the officers told me that I just have to work hard. I know it’s going to be a little bit of a shock for me, but I’ll get used to it. I know the instructors are paid to yell at me, but it’s all part of the psychological game, to make me want to quit. And I’m not quitting for anything.”
Smallen, a lifelong resident and a graduate of North Bergen High School, was working in commercial real estate when she received word about her high score on the police exam.
“When I was a kid, I always wanted to know what cops were doing,” Smallen said. “I was fascinated by cop shows. I was crazy about it since I was like 4 years old. Getting into law enforcement was something that I always wanted to do. This was the first time I took the test and I really didn’t know how I did. When I got the letter, I was awfully excited.”
Smallen was asked if she took pride in being in the biggest female recruiting class.
“I believe it’s only fair,” Smallen said. “I think there should be as many women as there are men. I think police work is more of a career choice, and I don’t know if many women are willing to go in that direction. But I’m very happy and proud, not just for myself, but for the force and the entire town.”
Smallen was asked if she was ready for the rigors of the police academy.
“It’s going to be a mental and physical challenge, but I’m prepared for it,” Smallen said. “I think it also helps that there will be three women from North Bergen there together, sticking together and pulling each other through. We’re going to do it. There’s not a doubt in my mind at all.”
Smallen said that she showed the badge to her family, who quickly ran to local stores to play the lottery.
“There must have been a lot of Pick-3 with 183’s that day,” Smallen laughed. “I’m going to take the badge out every so often to give me the incentive to keep going on.”
Chief pleased
North Bergen Police Chief Angelo Busacco was pleased there was such a fine contingent of female officers in this latest class of recruits. “We’re a progressive community and we want to have a police department that is reflective of the community,” Busacco said. “We encourage females to take the test. In the case of Marina, I’m always happy when a member of the family takes the test. Now, she’s a sworn-in member of the family. When we send our officers to participate in career days at the schools, there is always feedback that female students have interest. The female officers we have are held up as role models.”
Fernandes said she didn’t mind being considered a role model. In fact, it’s something that would make her mother very proud.
“I know that people are going to look up to me,” Fernandes said. “Since I’m the senior one, I have to be the role model. I’m also familiar with writing reports, getting on the radio, things like that. I know a lot of people are going to be depending upon me.”
Her sons are also pleased. “They’re so excited,” Fernandes said. “They were going around the neighborhood, saying, ‘My mother is going to be a police officer.’ They’re real proud of me.”